STEVE HURD is hoping Dorking can use the experience of training with former Premier League manager Alan Curbishley to get the new season off to a flyer this week.
The former Charlton Athletic and West Ham United manager turned up at Meadowbank on Monday night to help bolster the Chicks' fitness as part of a new programme designed to help non-league coaches improve their skills.
The Budweiser Coach the Coaches programme, which was launched in May by former Sheffield United, Crystal Palace and Leeds United manager Neil Warnock, aims to enhance the management skill set, with Dorking one of only five winning clubs to benefit from the programme.
And the Chicks' assistant manager, who applied for the programme, said it was a great experience for him and the Dorking players to learn from Curbishley, who ran a series of drills with the players before observing a training match in front of the cameras as part of a documentary to be aired later this year.
He said: "He was fantastic and someone of his calibre just commands respect.
"He is a former Premier League manager and you can't help but learn from someone like that.
"He has got that something about him and because of who he is and his background. The boys definitely had the right attitude."
And Hurd said that the former Birmingham City, West Ham and Brighton player seemed impressed by what he saw from the Chicks, adding that he hoped Dorking could take what they had learnt into the Combined Counties League Division One opener against Sheerwater on Saturday.
He said: "The boys will definitely take a lot from this.
"They were definitely listening to what he had to say and what he suggested and hopefully we can take some of that into the game on Saturday and kick off the season with three points.
"This was a great boost for us and everyone enjoyed it, we just need to translate it into a win on Saturday.
"We are certainly in better shape than we were last season at this stage and [coach] Charlie West has been a breath of fresh air.
"I am not saying we are going to win the league this year, but I think we should certainly be looking to push towards the top of the table rather than the bottom and hopefully we can use this to help us throughout the season as we are looking to bounce back."
Meanwhile, Hurd said that he too had learnt a lot from Curbishley, who now works as a television pundit for Sky.
He said: "The biggest thing for me is knowing that a Premier League manager does similar things to what we do.
"But you can tell that they have that different level of respect and they do change a few little things in drills that can make a real difference.
"But he made it as enjoyable as possible and he was a really enthusiastic guy. He gave me some advice too when I had a chat with him and he was really fantastic to have around the place."
