A battle is brewing between the Elaine Cricket Club and the Elaine Recreation Reserve committee over a proposal to re-name the oval, the Ron Read Recreation Reserve.
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Moorabool Shire is set to debate the proposal as a response to a petition of 106 signatures which it has received asking for the venue to be re-named.
However, the cricket club, the major tenant at the venue, says it is not appropriate for one person to be given the honour of the venue being named after when so many people have been involved over a number of decades at the reserve.
A spokesperson for the Elaine Cricket Club said the reserve should be for everyone who has contributed to the history of the reserve.
"Ron Read was the president of the Recreation Reserve Committee for a number of years and he's done a lot at Elaine," the spokesperson said.
"He passed away a couple of years ago. He did do a massive amount at the reserve, don't get us wrong, but we believe that so many other people have been involved as well, that's why we, as a club, are against the changing of the name.
"We've got one man who still lives in Elaine, he's 94, he was the secretary of the club for 34 years, he played in the last football team about 70 years ago. His family goes back generations.
"There are other families in similar situations that have donated so much of their time to the club.
"A couple of the older people in the township have been quite upset about this. We believe if it stays 'Elaine Recreation Reserve' it includes everybody."
The club they would be happy to have a permanent memorial to Read at the venue along the lines of a number of other Elaine legends who adorn different parts of the venue.
"The Ron Read Pavillion, or he loved his gardens, we'd love to do something maybe around a garden, we just feel naming the entire venue is a step too far," the club said
The petitions that has been forwarded to Moorabool Shire reads
"Ron was a tireless worker for every community event, from working around the reserve, tending to our beautiful trees, watering them when there were period of no rainfall for months," it says.
"Whenever there was an event he would be seen manning the BBQ. He was so proud of our Recreation Reserve he always put his hand up whenever anything needed doing, he was the driving force around the township of Elaine for many years... we feel that it would be a lasting tribute to a man who put in more than 30 years tending to his much loved reserve for the benefit of the entire community."
Elaine Recreation Reserve chair Diane Cook said Read was instrumental in everything you today see at the venue.
"If you've seen the rec reserve, everything you see there has had some involvement with Ron Read," she said.
"While he wasn't born here, he moved in about 30 years ago. He fell in love with Elaine and was always behind the scenes.
"He's a life member of the cricket club, tennis club, was senior of the year at Moorabool.
"The cricket team had fallen away, the tennis courts were in neglect and he was behind the resurfacing and fencing of the tennis courts, the undercover barbecue area, the sight area in the tennis, he worked like mad to get new toilets, the refurbishment of the cricket club room.
"We've now got shade sails, air-conditioners. Everything at the ground he has had a hand in it. He passed away a couple of years back and it's taken since April 2022 for this idea to go through the due process."
Moorabool Shire chief executive officer Derek Madden said council would debate the proposal next month after receiving the petition with the amount of signatures requires
"Council received a petition from the Elaine community to rename the Elaine Recreation Reserve to Ron Read Recreation Reserve," he said.
"Council has put this out for public consultation and we're encouraging anyone who has an interest in this to have their say on the proposal.
"The consultation runs until May 12. Based on feedback, council officers will make a recommendation to council about next steps, and this will be considered by council at a future meeting."
