Matthew Barrass was born in Seaham Harbour on 14th February 1899. An inside-forward, he joined Blackpool in 1919. Over the next five seasons he scored 53 goals in 167 Football League games.

Barrass also played for Sheffield Wednesday in the 1924-25 season scoring 14 goals in 48 games. In 1926 he joined Manchester City. He moved to right-half and played in 162 games before leaving the club in 1932.

Matthew Barrass, whose son, Malcolm Barras, played for Bolton Wanderers, died in 1953.