Craig Kirby, 50, Ignites Viral Fame with ‘Football at 50’ Highlight Reels

Above a Methodist church, at the end of a terraced row north of Rochdale town centre, Craig Kirby’s phone buzzes as he unlocks his gym. The 50‑year‑old’s newest TikTok clip has just surpassed 85,000 views.

The footage is a personal highlight reel from an amateur match, captured from the touchline by his wife Lindsay. The caption describes how Kirby carves out space and time on the uneven park pitch, adding, “Fitness and movement off the ball are 90 % of the game.”

Kirby smiles as the clip goes viral, having amassed more than 340,000 views at the time of writing—yet this is far from his first brush with popularity.

The video pinned to the top of his profile has been viewed 2.9 million times. It is a compilation of Kirby playing for Whitworth Valley against Old Rivingtonians on a drizzly January afternoon, set against rolling Lancashire hills and a children’s playground, with the modest title: “Well beaten today. Not bad for 50 though.”

That clip dates from the start of last season, and since then Kirby has posted regularly on TikTok and Instagram. His “Football at 50” profile now draws roughly 30,000 followers on each platform.

Having endured the unimaginable grief of losing his son Sebastian in December 2023, Kirby contemplated abandoning football altogether.

His wife urged him to keep playing, offering to film his matches. They had expected only a handful of family members and close friends to view the recordings.

“When I posted it, it shot past one million views,” Kirby recalls. “We were like, ‘Wow?!’ Everything changed after that, and it made me reconsider my priorities.”

“I’m probably enjoying football now more than I ever did in my late 20s or early 30s,” he adds.

Kirby is a demonstrably talented player. As a teenager he had trials with Blackburn Rovers but was already committed to joining the army, following his father’s footsteps. When he left the services in his mid‑20s, offers came from Cambridge United and Kettering, yet none suited his young family’s needs.

His hair is now white, setting him apart from younger opponents, but his physique remains that of a personal trainer. Kirby reports he is even incorporating sprint work this season to improve his speed.

Most of his posts feature match highlights, but Kirby also shares training footage—juggling a ball in his gym or practising keep‑ups against a wall.

He deliberately steers clear of the aggression sometimes seen in amateur football, preferring to highlight slick touches, clever passes and occasional analytical commentary on errors. The response has been overwhelmingly positive.

While a few comments mention occasional lapses like a “Sergio Bus Pass,” the majority praise his technique, drawing comparisons to Zinedine Zidane and describing him as a genuine inspiration.

“We’re always mindful of red flags and the sometimes‑scary side of social media,” Kirby notes. “Yet most viewers are simply trying to get by and looking for someone to admire or be inspired by.”

My hope is that I can do that for people my age who think, ‘I’m too old.’

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