BLACKBURN Rovers and Clitheroe will swap training grounds this summer in a bid to give Rovers' stars of the future a shock to the system.

Academy director Bobby Downes believes his young guns need a harsh taste of reality as part of their football education.

So he's come up with a scheme where Rovers and North West Counties League club Clitheroe will swap training facilities for a week in the build up to the new season.

"We want to give them a taste of reality because when kids come into a club like ours at 16 they think football is all about beating three men and curling home a wonder goal from 25 yards," said Downes.

"The idea that we've got to battle and scrap for everything can sometimes come as a shock to the system.

"So we thought this might help them to get to grips with that."

Under the scheme, Rovers will train at Clitheroe's Shawbridge ground for a full week in the summer, even using their bibs and training balls.

And, in return, Dave Burgess's non-League minnows will be granted full use of Rovers' £7 million state-of-the-art youth Academy at Brockhall.