Tottenham signed Mearns from
Kettering Town in March 1903 to be understudy to
Charlie Williams. He made his debut on 5 October 1903 for Spurs in a
Western League game to
Queens Park Rangers where he kept a clean sheet in a 3–0 win. By the end of the season Mearns helped Tottenham to win the Western League. He played a total of five Southern League games, four Western League games and four London League games and then moved onto
Bradford City. He played for Bradford City between June 1904 and May 1906. He made 21 league and 2 FA Cup appearances for the club. Mearns joined Hartlepool United in 1908 for their inaugural season in the
North Eastern League where they came fourth. In the summer of 1909 he joined Barnsley. He played in the Barnsley side who reached the
FA Cup in
1910. ==Honours==