Spent a few hours in the company of Dave Merrington today up at Hurstwood church. He was in the area for the weekend and wanted to see his friends Eddie and Mary Cliff. Lovely guy still very active and articulate. He was an uncompromising defender in his time here.

His brother Alan lived in Burnley for a while and was a Lucas apprentice,I can remember going to the rugby club one Saturday night when Dave was there and even the night after a match he went home around 9pm as he was so dedicated to his fitness.

Dave Merrington got my sticker album signed by the full squad back in seventies, don't know where it went, but also remember Dave Thomas and Steve Kindon being lovely and accessible people.

I remember Merrington as a no nonsense, take no prisoners type of centre half Does he still have his red hair? Him and I are around the same age, I still have red hair, although not as much of it as I once had

Thank you, good to hear

Dave had family in Burnley, once went to a do at Irish league many years ago and he was there, nice man ..

Good bloke was Merrington.
Ex-army, wasn't he?

I thought for a horrible moment that he'd died when I saw the thread heading. Thankfully not. A very good centre half blighted by injury,

Pleased to read he’s still with us.
Didn’t he go into the church when he finished with football?

Did some excellent coaching work at Saints
I saw him play many times for us .Him and Blant were indeed awesome defenders

Tricky Trevor wrote: ↑

Mon Aug 04, 2025 12:02 am

Pleased to read he’s still with us.
Didn’t he go into the church when he finished with football?

He found his faith whilst still at Burnley. Told me yesterday that Joe Brown played a big part in that as Joe was a Christian. Has been a preacher since the sixties.

exilecanada wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 03, 2025 10:52 pm

I remember Merrington as a no nonsense, take no prisoners type of centre half Does he still have his red hair? Him and I are around the same age, I still have red hair, although not as much of it as I once had

You know what, he still has hair that you recognise as once being red.

Joe Brown, Eddie Cliff, Dougie Collins and Dave Merrington were key members of what is now known as the Life Church, the newish building on Sycamore Avenue, near to where Gannow baths was situated.
Joe and Eddie were particularly devout.

Woodleyclaret wrote: ↑

Mon Aug 04, 2025 2:21 am

Did some excellent coaching work at Saints
I saw him play many times for us .Him and Blant were indeed awesome defenders

Phenomenal output of stars, during his time at Southampton.

He was never the best of centre halves for us and after his release he signed for Bristol City but sustained a career ending injury before he’d even had the chance to make a debut for them.

That brought him back to Burnley as reserve team coach and he followed Adamson to Sunderland and then Leeds but eventually became a key man at Southampton; Matt Le Tissier heaps praise on him for the part he played building his career.

Merrington had a season as Southampton manager before joining BBC Radio Solent down there covering Southampton games and retired just three years ago.

He’s 80 now and good to see he’s still very active. He is still living down at Southampton. Sadly lost his wife Pauline a couple of years ago.