CLITHEROE boss Dave Burgess wants to forge stronger links with Premiership new-boys Blackburn Rovers after the two clubs swapped training grounds this week as part of a unique experiment.
Burgess, a self-confessed Blackburn fan, has already taken his North West Counties League squad for pre-season training at Rovers' plush Brockhall Academy this week in exchange for allowing Rovers' Youth Academy full use of their facilities at Shawbridge.
The 'ground swap' idea was the brainchild of Rovers' Academy supremo Bobby Downes who wants to give his young charges a quick dose of football reality before the new season gets underway next month.
And, after both clubs have hailed the venture a roaring success, Burgess hopes it could form the basis of a beautiful friendship.
"One of the things I hope will come out of all this is a closer bond between ourselves and Rovers," said Burgess.
"Bobby Downes has already talked about building a relationship and that could turn out to be beneficial to both clubs.
"So I just hope this isn't a one-off.
"From our point of view, not only is it brilliant to be able to use the facilities of a Premiership club for our pre-season training but it could also help us to attract players to Clitheroe.
"I don't know of any other North West Counties League club who are using facilities like these for their pre-season training. And we've already had a couple of players down on trial who might not have come to us otherwise."
Downes is also delighted with the way things have gone as he looks to prepare his young guns for the challenges ahead.
And he hopes the whole experience will help him and his coaching staff in the battle to keep their young professionals' feet firmly on terra firma.
"This was just the chance for us to give our kids a bit of a taste of reality," said Downes.
"None of our lads were told about it, they were just taken down to Clitheroe and told to get on with it.
"We'll train here all week and by the end of it all our lads should appreciate coming back to what we have got at Brockhall.
"So it's been mutually beneficially to both clubs because Clitheroe have been able to use all our facilities for three nights in return.
"And I've already told them 'let's get a relationship going and see if we can help each other out on a regular basis.'"
Such an arrangement has already started to take shape with Downes offering to help the Blues out if any of Burgess's squad pick up injuries which can't be treated by the non-League club's physio.
"If we pick up any injuries which our physio can't deal with then Bobby has told me to give him a ring and he'll try to sort us out, which was nice," added Burgess.
In the mean time, however, Burgess and his squad will finish their week of training at Brockhall tonight ahead of their friendly with a Rovers XI at Shawbridge tomorrow.
And the Blues boss admits the last few days have been something of an eye-opener after witnessing first hand how the other half live.
"The whole thing has been really great, to be honest," said Burgess.
"Eric Kinder -- one of the Academy coaches -- took us around most of the outdoor facilities on Monday, from using the big grids marked out on the pitches to using the special running hill.
"Then yesterday we used the hydrotherapy pool, the gym and the indoor pitch they have down there which is unbelievable.
"I think half of them thought they were just going for a swim but Rob Kelly assured me he was going to put on a really demanding session.
"From a purely personal point of view, though, it's just been good to see some of the coaching.
"Their coaching techniques are obviously different from the things I've ever done and I learnt so much in two hours on Monday, it was a real eye-opener."
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