Malcolm Barrass
Malcolm Barrass followed in the footsteps of his father, Matt, who played League football for Blackpool, Sheffield Wednesday and Manchester City. He signed amateur forms for the Wanderers in 1944, having being spotted playing for Manchester works team, Ford Motors. He previously played three trial games for Wolves, and was offered terms but became a Bolton professional during November 1944 and in the first season scored 22 goals in 40 games from the inside-forward position. Barrass showed no signs of being overawed by the big step into wartime League football and honours soon came his way when he was chosen to play for England in the victory international against Wales and West Brom in October 1945. He became a versatile player, once scoring four goals form a centre forward position against Manchester City, but it was at centre half that he won his three full England Caps, his last being in 1953 against Scotland at Wembley. Two weeks later he returned to Wembley as Bolton's centre-half in the FA Cup Final, against his hometown club, Blackpool. After 12 years with the Wanderers he was signed by Joe Mercer for Sheffield United, in September 1956, and later became player-manager at Wigan Athletic. He ended his career with a two-and-a-half-year spell at Southern League Nuneaton Borough before settling in the Bury area, where he became a sales representative whilst helping out Pwllheli, then Hyde United, as a trainer. |
