A day out in the sun, but what about the charm of the Cup?

The first thing Graham Westley, owner-chairman and manager of Farnborough Town, did after his club were drawn against Arsenal in the fourth round of the FA Cup was to open negotiations to switch the tie to Highbury. Apparently, the next was to instruct his players that they must speak exclusively to the tabloid with whom his cleaning company has a contract.

Even the local newspaper, The Farnborough News and Mail, who have followed and supported the club through thick and thin (and infinitely more of the latter), were shamefacedly told when telephoning players for their views last week: "Sorry, the boss says we must only speak to The Sun."

An apt repository for fairy-tales, perhaps, but presumably becoming aware of the way aggrieved red-top rivals might seek revenge, the club has accepted wiser counsel. Westley now promises to make his men generally media-available in the run-up to Highbury on 25 January, though moving the match will have diminished the demand. The inescapable fact is that what was a novelty now seems a formality.

"Why stage it in a toilet when you can have it at the Colosseum?" Westley had remarked to the newspaper of his choice. Ignoring the fact that those who pay their tenners to watch at Farnborough's tiny ground, some of whom physically helped to reconstruct it, may not be too thrilled at the analogy, it does rather suggest that he accepts his team are going to be thrown to the lions. Or the Gunners, as it happens.

"People have accused me of killing the romance of the FA Cup and I find that hurtful," he further declared. "It was the logical decision in the circumstances." True enough, but Sky, the satellite arm of the Murdoch empire who proved somewhat less compliant as a business partner than their sister tabloid, promptly decided that the Gillingham-Chelsea encounter now provided the better prospect for a live giant-killing, whereupon Westley let it be known that he was "choked".

"It's not about the money," he insisted – £265,000 was the nice little TV earner Farnborough could have expected. "It should be televised for the sake of everybody. I think the game deserves top billing." Westley also said the decision was not something that would reduce the romance of the Cup. "From the players' point of view this is probably the most romantic outcome."

Perhaps for the spectators, too, for while it might have been more atmospheric at Cherrywood Road, it seems the good citizens of Farnborough, a Hampshire town that is hardly a hotbed of football, will be more than happy to pack the Clock End at Highbury. Farnborough, formed only in 1968, twice took 5,000 to West Ham for a third-round match in 1992; they were applauded off the pitch first after switching their home tie and drawing 1-1, then when losing the replay 1-0 at the same ground to an 89th-minute goal.

Anything remotely reminiscent of that against the Premiership champions and FA Cup holders would be more than acceptable, as indeed is the bonus generously put their way by Arsenal who are allowing them to keep the entire receipts from the match programme.

Nestling just off the M3, Farnborough's only real claim to fame is the bi-annual air show. It is the sort of unremarkable place where people usually look for the team's result, but rarely go to a game.

Farnborough is much in the shadow of neighbouring Aldershot both as a town and as a football club, even though as a Conference side they are in a league above the former Football Leaguers who, despite their Rymans residency, have a much bigger following. Farnborough do not even have an official supporters' club but, as is the nature of such occasions, will whip up enough fans to fill around 100 coaches, a total of 6,000 which is 10 times the size of their average home gate and one-tenth of the entire population.

The impact of the Arsenal tie has been "massive", says Peter Moore, landlord of the Prince of Wales, the pub used by most fans. "It is a great event for them. I can't ever remember a bigger talking point and most of it centres around how and when we can get a ticket."

Moore is among the majority who would prefer a day out at Highbury, even though his own takings would have been swelled by a Gooners invasion. "We're a small pub and I'm not sure we'd cope with a huge volume of people. Farnborough is not really geared up for something like this and it is probably better all round that the match has been switched."

Despite the loss of their TV jackpot, Darlington's conquerors are still likely to make up to £600,000 from the game, which is probably why there were not too many long faces on Wednesday amid the flurry of activity at the ground which matched the falling snow. Then club officials met representatives of Arsenal, the FA, police and fire and safety services and agreed, quite properly, that the rather ramshackle stadium, more cockpit than Colosseum, was neither safe nor secure enough for the occasion.

It was vindication for Westley, the 34- year old former England youth international who played as a striker at Queen's Park Rangers and Gillingham before setting up his west London-based office cleaning company. He gained an MA in company direction before establishing himself as everything from owner-chairman to managerial head cook and bottle washer at Farnborough in 1999. Under his unorthodox stewardship they regained their Conference status two years ago.

Like most non-league clubs, Farnborough largely depend on their commercial activities and here Mickey Warner, their commercial manager, appears to have done a decent job. The 28-year-old former Northampton defender doubles as a first-team regular and soon after Monday's draw was seeking information from his old boss Ian Atkins, now manager of Oxford, who were hammered at Highbury on Saturday. "Tell me, Ian, how do you man-mark Robert Pires?"

Farnborough are home to the usual motley collection of twilighters, the thirtyish teachers, accountants, carpenters, and electrician's mates (and in their case a tree surgeon) who inhabit the lower reaches of football. Most of Westley's "wonders" will be asking their employers for time off for extra training over the next fortnight and for some, like the sweeper Tim O'Shea, who works for the manager's company mopping floors at Wapping, that shouldn't be a problem.

No doubt Farnborough and the energetic entrepreneur who leads them will savour their flirtation with fame, though the strong probability is that they will be taken to the cleaners at Highbury. But, whatever happens, at least they will have had their day in The Sun.