Marvellous - bbc2 Wednesday

[Katinski]

If anyone had told me I'd watch a 90mn film about football I'd have raised an eyebrow, looked around at my books or even (fleetingly) thought about washing a floor or something, BUT....late night lockdown, now in its thirteenthy + week for me, does strange things, and I happened across this gem and it's bloody MARVELLOUS !
Toby Jones stars as Neil(Nello) Baldwin, ex-clown and Stoke City's Mascot and kit man and how the team and crowd took him to their hearts. A bit simple, compulsive eater, people pleaser and all round Good Egg.
Watch it by yourself, watch it with your kids, but, please...watch it!

I really enjoyed it, it was lovely. What a man. I loved the little snippets of him actually being in it & chatting with Toby Jones who was playing him, especially when he said ‘I don’t get nervous’.
He had an amazing life and met a lot of people. He’s 74 now!

inews.co.uk/culture/television/neil-baldwin-stoke-city-marvellous-toby-jones-nello-true-story-now-what-happened-459383

Thanks everso Mrs McC for posting the link

And didn't Toby Jones play him well!

We are local to Keele area and my DH remembers Nello at Stoke City (come on stoke). We have seen it before but always love the film....we like seeing the area on the telly ( but the place they film for the football ground is Crewe Alex.

Toby Jones did a talk at the Oxford Lit Fest, and he told us what a lovely guy Nello was. He said they were worried Nello would be upset by the scene of his mother's funeral, and after the scene was shot, he tentatively approached Nello, who was standing with his back to him. Nello turned to him with a huge beaming smile and said "Toby, we're gonna get a BAFTA !!" And, as Toby added, they did!

Absolutely brilliant. It’s the second time I’ve watched it , what a remarkable character he is. Toby Jones played him so well. The scene of him crying after the funeral broke my heart.

I saw it a couple of years ago and laughed and cried all the way though.
Would love to watch it again.

Is it on iplayer?

Utterly brilliant! I loved it.

rosegoldwatcher I've just checked and yes, it's up on BBC2 iplayer

btw rose gold is my absolute fave metal!

Thanks OP

(Mine too - I was wearing my favourite item of jewellery when Mumsnet asked me to choose a username!)

I have recommended this film to so many people. My daughter met Neil at Keele university- he can often be found in the refectory. She chatted to him on several occasions- he is still a big footie fan ( he asked her where she was from then straight away said oh we beat you last season) and still keeps budgies.

Thank you so much for posting this @Katinski! This had passed under our radar but we loved it!
Anything with TJ - The Detectorists, Don’t Forget the Driver - brilliant!

Rewatched this, it is, as the title says, bloody Marvellous, I laughed and cried, Neil Baldwin such a gem of a person, and Toby Jones was sublime, great pick me up

It really is great, isn't it?

You watch it partly in disbelief at what he's done!

We watched it while looking up his Wiki page just to make sure it was true. Wasn't it lovely?

The programme won a few awards if I remember correctly.

Very few dramas make you feel as optimistic as this one.