This is, providentially, the sort of occasion that Albion paid £6.9m to build the Pirelli Stadium for, wiping out the small outstanding debt and offering an introduction to the mass television audience of the lovely little Conference club assembled with faith, hope and sweat by Clough and chairman Ben Robinson.

Having joined the board in 1975 as a 29-year-old, and become chairman two years later, Robinson is entitled to his joyous, one-word description of what has been happening in the last few hectic weeks since the draw was announced as "fantastic". As someone who runs an insurance business in Burton, Robinson is reaping the rich policy dividend of his ability seven years ago to persuade Clough to take the job of player-manager in the game's lower reaches after a career with Nottingham Forest, Liverpool, Manchester City and England.

The fact that Nigel is a devoted family man with a home only a dozen miles away helped, of course. As it still does. His contentment with the set-up, however, sees him regularly accused of having a lack of ambition. But the 39year-old Clough doesn't care, which perhaps accounts for the permanent look of cheeriness carried around by Robinson.

"Nigel has put the team and the town on the football map, " said Robinson at the conclusion of a hectic day last Thursday on which urgent attention to a dodgy, poordraining pitch had been a priority. "He has taken us to another planet and made local people identify with their club. This has happened because he came. If he hadn't been here we wouldn't have our new stadium. Before he came the average gate was 460. Now it's 1,600." And this afternoon it will be a jampacked 6,500 for a match which would have had no trouble attracting 35,000. In the old days, of course, Burton could simply have switched the tie to Old Trafford to benefit from a massive attendance. New regulations insist that if the police are happy with the safety of a home ground then the game should be played as it was drawn from the velvet bag, and Burton's bright new stadium, opened only two months back, guaranteed this.

The businessman in Robinson ensures a sparkle in the eyes at the thought of his team being watched by 67,000 in a replay at the Theatre of Dreams. Offered the scenario of Burton leading this afternoon's match 1-0 and United being awarded a last-minute penalty, he says he would be happy with a draw for himself, but not for the players. Although captain Darren Stride, a oneclub man with 500 appearances and a century of goals for Albion, when asked if he would swap the hundred for a winner against United, said; "We've been told to go for a draw but it would be nice to score."

Clough was also quite realistic in his ambition for the game. "Although the Cup throws up quirks, we would need a huge slice of luck for things to go in our favour. We have to work a bit harder, hope they have an off day and we get the luck. With those three ingredients we might not get thrashed." He feels United's embarrassing home draw with Exeter in last season's tournament will guarantee a positive attitude, which is confirmed by the fact that United, alerted by Albion's record of one defeat in their last 15 matches, have sent scouts to all of Burton's recent games, departing with videos. "I don't think they will want their pride dented as it was last season and that will probably work against us, just as them getting knocked out of Europe will too. And because of Chelsea, if they want some silverware this season it will have to be the FA Cup or the League Cup."

As for winning in memory of his father, Nigel asserts that it is for the local fans alone that he will be hoping his team can cause a shock.

"It would be stretching it a bit for us to win, but if we did, it would be for Burton Albion, because everyone will be talking about this game for the next 30 years." Though he does think, tongue in cheek, that Clough senior "has had some influence on the draw."

The death of Brian Clough in October 2004 cancelled Burton's plans to have him open the new stadium.

Instead, Nigel wrote to Sir Alex Ferguson asking if he would do them the honour instead, a request which was answered with the provision of a United team of youngsters, beaten 2-1, and the presence of Ferguson himself to perform the opening ceremony.

Nigel's admission that he will be "relieved" when today's match is over so that he and his players can concentrate on Tuesday night's Birmingham Senior Cup quarter-final at Stourbridge, underlines Robinson's opinion of his manager. "You couldn't wish for a more honest and honourable guy who is not motivated by money and has strong principles and values.

"The situation with us and Nigel is quite simple. If and when he gets the offer of a job and wants to take it, he will go with my blessing and grateful thanks for what he has achieved for us, because we have benefitted from the fact that he has decided to give priority to his family." Nor does Nigel see things changing at the moment. "I have no urgent desire to move on. I love taking my two children into school and picking them up again, and whatever the Cup game brings it will not bring as much pleasure as doing that. It is of paramount importance. It might be different when they are 12, 13 or 14. But they're five and seven. These are special times. And when people say I lack ambition, I say I'd rather pick my kids up from school."

FA CUP THIRD ROUND BURTON ALBION v MANCHESTER UNITED Pirelli Stadium, 4.00 Live, Sky Sports 1, 3.30