Not that the Shakers manager is trying to emulate Don Revie's great Leeds side of the 1970s, who saw beer, fags and dominoes in the boozer as part of their training regime.
Instead, Knill wants his players to sip an orange juice, and mix with the fans, to give the club a sense of togetherness and common purpose, as they begin the final push for promotion from League Two.
Knill was unmoved by the fact that he picked up the Manager of the Month award on Saturday, the first Bury boss to win two gongs in a season.
That came just a year and three days after Knill took over at Gigg Lane, with the Shakers gazing down at the trapdoor to the Conference as it creaked and shuddered under their feet. Knill has transformed the club, on a tight budget, and they now sit in an automatic promotion spot ahead of tonight's trip to Rotherham, who sacked the 44-year-old Bury boss as their manager in 2007.
Since taking over at Gigg Lane, Knill has done what all good managers do, and pay attention to detail, even to the point of ordering his staff to spruce and tidy up the club.
Critical
And he has led his team out to meet the supporters, some of whom are notoriously critical, even when times are as good as these.
Knill himself had an exasperated exchange with one main stand critic, who had a pop as his side led Gillingham 3-0 in November and went on to win 4-0 and claim a place in the play-off positions.
"It's something we should do, and we are always open," said Knill.
"If anyone asks the players, I am always wanting them to go and meet the public.
"It's also a way for us to get more people in."
As well as giving the players a sense of how much the club means to the fans, it also engenders a club spirit - people who have met and chatted to a player are much less likely to get on his back when he has a bad Saturday.
Knill said: "I learned a big thing when I was at Rotherham. For managers, coaches and players, the football club is a place where we work. We come in, work, and then go home. We don't mix with anyone else.
Charity
"But when Rotherham went into administration, I had to go and do loads of sponsored walks and charity things, which put me in amongst the supporters.
"I remember losing 4-0 at home to Chesterfield, and the last thing I wanted to do was go out to a function. But I went and it was really good. It taught me what Saturday means to people.
"Sometimes it's frustrating when you get the shouts from the crowd, but it means a lot to them, and sometimes as players and coaches we don't understand that.
"I live in Sheffield and after the derby there on Saturday one side was delighted and the other was desperate.
"I don't really understand that because I have only ever worked in it. I have never been on the terraces and seen what it's like.
"So every opportunity we have to put the players out there among the supporters, we will take that."
The isolation of players from supporters is a hot topic at Premier League level, where some clubs - like the two Manchester clubs - have retreated from their fans to the extent of moving their training ground to a more remote, less accessible location.
Pub
Knill says clubs at League Two level cannot afford to be so isolationist.
"Going out to a pub to meet those fans is real," said the man whose playing career took in Halifax, Swansea, Cardiff, Scunthorpe and Rotherham as well as Bury.
"We live in a kind of bubble - it's a job and even at our level we are extremely lucky.
"We come in and moan about it, but there are far worse things in life than playing football every day. Playing is a great job. I don't know about managing - that's the worst job ever!"
Tonight's game at Millmoor will depend on a pitch inspection at 10.45 this morning.
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