Mervyn came to the club as assistant to Paul Darby. When Paul Darby left to take up a physio role at Wolverhampton Wanderers, Mervyn took over the team.

This was Autumn 1986 and Merv managed to the start of August 1983 when he stunned the club by announcing he wanted to step down from his post, two games into the season, after coming second in the league and in the midst of an unbeaten league run going back to the previous November!

After several years away, Mervyn returned in August 1997 and managed until August 2002 in two spells overseeing a brief tenure of Kevin Foster as manager from April to September 2001.

Honours
1990 – 1991 Premier Division: Runners-Up
1992 – 1993 Premier Division: Runners-Up

League Cup

1989 – 1990 Premier Division League Cup: WINNERS
1990 – 1991 Premier Division League Cup: WINNERS

Walsall Senior Cup

1990 – 1991 WINNERS
1992 – 1993 WINNERS

Staffordshire Senior Cup

1991 – 1992 Runners-Up

Mervyn also masterminded Chasetown to the last 16 of the FA Vase and, at the time, a then record third qualifying round of the FA Cup.