Building a New Stadium for a Local Football Club

The question

How to approach this discuss both views question

A discuss-both-views essay asks you to explain two opinions fairly and then give your own.

1. Introduce both views and say you will discuss them.
2. Paragraph 1: the first view with reasons and an example.
3. Paragraph 2: the second view with reasons and an example.
4. State your own opinion clearly (in the introduction or conclusion) and keep it consistent.

How to plan this answer

Structure

1. Introduction: paraphrase the proposed stadium, its public funding and the park closure, then state that the disadvantages outweigh the advantages in this case.
2. Body 1: the advantages, covering match-day spending, local pride, youth sport and construction jobs.
3. Body 2: the disadvantages, covering the loss of a well-used park, public money that could fund other services and traffic on match days.
4. Body 3: weigh the two sides, noting that the park loss is permanent and the benefits are concentrated among fans, and suggest a smaller or better-placed option.
5. Conclusion: restate your answer and explain what would change your view, such as private funding or a replacement park.

Idea bank

• Pubs and cafés near the ground that trade heavily on match days, creating income for local businesses.
• A park used daily by families, dog walkers and older people, which cannot easily be replaced once built over.
• A stadium that sits empty for most of the week, so the public investment serves a small number of fixture days.
• Counter-argument: a successful club can give a town pride and a shared identity that is hard to measure in money.
• Traffic and parking problems on match days that fall on residents who do not attend the games.

Useful vocabulary

• to fund from the public purse: Building the stadium would be funded from the public purse rather than by the club.
• to be a white elephant: If attendance falls, the stadium could become a white elephant that costs money to maintain.
• to displace: The new stadium would displace a popular park and the activities that take place there.
• match-day footfall: Match-day footfall can help local shops, but only on certain days.
• green space: Losing green space is a cost that is difficult to reverse.
• to generate local revenue: Major events can generate local revenue during a short season.
• to ensure a fair return: Councils should ensure a fair return on public money invested in private facilities.
• to lose out: Residents who never attend matches may lose out in this arrangement.
• to offset: Extra income from events could partly offset the cost of building.
• to weigh up: The council must weigh up short-term gains against permanent losses.

Common mistakes

• Describing the stadium's design or size in detail, rather than focusing on advantages and disadvantages.
• Assuming that only football fans benefit or lose, without considering other residents.
• Failing to state which side outweighs the other, or leaving the answer ambiguous.
• Confusing the council, which funds and approves the project, with the club, which would use it.

Examiner tip: Name the cost that cannot be undone, such as losing a park, and compare it fairly with the benefits. Showing which loss is permanent makes your judgement more persuasive.