Paul Kirkham is a former professional

Professional

A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialised set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. The traditional professions were doctors, lawyers, clergymen, and commissioned military officers. Today, the term is applied to estate agents, surveyors , environmental scientists,...

 footballer who played as a striker in the Football League

The Football League

The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...

 for Huddersfield Town

Huddersfield Town F.C.

Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...

.

Early career

He began his career as a trainee with Manchester United

Manchester United F.C.

Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...

, but he never played for the first team. So he joined Huddersfield Town in 1987 by then manager Steve Smith

Steve Smith (footballer)

Stephen "Steve" Smith is an English former professional footballer and football manager. He played football as a player for Huddersfield Town and Halifax Town. He also coached Huddersfield Town and Bradford City, the latter as caretaker.Smith has the unique distinction of being the only person...

. But in October 1987 he was replaced by Malcolm MacDonald

Malcolm MacDonald

Malcolm John MacDonald OM, PC was a British politician and diplomat.-Background:MacDonald was the son of Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald and Margaret MacDonald. Like his father he was born in Lossiemouth, Moray...

 into what is widely recognised as the club's worst ever season. Kirkham was to play only a minor role in the tragedy though, his only appearance came from the substitutes bench in a 2-1 home defeat by Ipswich Town on the 8th of April 1988, he replaced Peter Ward

Peter Ward

Peter Ward may refer to:*Peter Ward , retired English footballer, played for Brighton & Hove Albion and Nottingham Forest...

. With relegation confirmed a month later MacDonald was sacked and assistant, Eoin Hand

Eoin Hand

Eoin Kevin Joseph Colin Hand is a former footballer and football manager. As a player, his normal position was centre-half. He works as a television and radio football commentator for RTÉ in Ireland.-Playing career:...

 took charge. Hand then sent him on loan to Waterford United

Waterford United

Waterford United is an Irish football club playing in the First Division of the League of Ireland. The club was founded and elected to the league in 1930 and hails from Waterford. Originally the club was based at Kilcohan Park greyhound stadium, but have now moved to the Waterford Regional Sports...

 in October 1988 http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/archive/1988/1022/Pg015.html#Ar01500. Kirkham returned to Huddersfield reserves but left in March 1989 to join non-league Hyde United.

Non League Career

Kirkham enjoyed a successful three years at Hyde where he scored 41 goals in 102 league games. He left in 1992 to join Conference side, Stalybridge Celtic, he would remain there until 1994 when he departed for Witton Albion. He was to only play 6 league games. He rejoined Hyde in the same year but was to only remain there for 20 league games. He then moved on to Ashton United where he scored 6 goals in 10 games, he also scored on his first and last games for the club. He then hooked up with Mossley where he would play 4 games before again moving on to Flixton, Warrington Town, Flixton (again), Droylsden and Trafford before calling it a day in 1999.

Assistant Manager

Kirkham became Assistant Manager to Chris O'Brien at Abbey Hey in 2001. He left to join Woodley Sports, again as assistant manager, this time to Tony Hancock, in 2003. He left there in 2005 to join New Mills, again as AM to Hancock, where he remained until the March of the 2009-10 season.