Craig Kirby, a 50-year-old midfielder from Rochdale, has accumulated millions of online views for videos of his amateur football matches. His most-viewed video, a compilation from a January match for Whitworth Valley against Old Rivingtonians, has been seen 2.9 million times since being posted at the beginning of last season.
Kirby's wife Lindsay films his matches from the touchline. The couple initially thought only family and close friends would watch. His videos, posted across TikTok and Instagram under the profile 'Football at 50', have attracted about 30,000 followers on each platform. Most content shows clips from his games, including neat touches, clever passes and analysis of errors, while avoiding conflict.
Kirby said he initially considered quitting football following the death of his son Sebastian in December 2023. His wife encouraged him to continue playing. "I am probably enjoying football right now more than I did in my late 20s or early 30s," Kirby said. He is a personal trainer and has said he is doing sprint training to improve his speed this season.
Kirby has had opportunities come from his growing profile. He plays for Vauxhall Motors in the Cheshire Veterans League Premier Division and has been called up for England's over-50s team, in which he has played friendlies and hopes to earn an official cap in Thailand later this year. He has also struck up a friendship with ex-Newcastle striker Papiss Cisse, who praised his left foot.
Kirby has spoken candidly in his videos about grief and mental health, noting that people struggling with loss may benefit from talking about it. He has said he hopes to inspire older players who think they are too old to continue playing football, while also stressing that younger players should focus on enjoying the game rather than facing pressure to enter academy pathways from a young age.
