They have watched as a $2.8 million development of Tamworth’s Scully Park led the Newcastle Jets A League team to return to the city for training and preseason games over the years.

But after one game on what has been called a “substandard surface” in Lavington back in 2014, Melbourne City (then known as Heart) never returned for another top-class match.

Inspired by a joint stand by the Border’s doctors last week, calling for Victorian funding for the cross-border area of Albury-Wodonga, representatives from soccer, rugby league, footy and athletics have done the same ahead of Saturday’s state election.

Murray United chairman Darren Yates said he thought the fact Wodonga did not receive the same level of investment in sporting infrastructure was “a political issue”.

“We have not got the infrastructure to attract A League sides to our city yet places like Tamworth, Mudgee, Shepparton, Bendigo and Ballarat – who are all contested political electorates – have received significant funds in recent years that have created facilities we can only dream of,” he said.

“At this point in time Murray United has to consider playing their FFA Cup matches at Shepparton because their facilities are ready to go and are so much better.” 

Albury Thunder representative Mike Eden said the rugby league club would also like to attract big clubs to the region, but did not have the facilities.

“If we did, it would be a huge boost to the social and economic wellbeing of our community,” he said.

“It seems there is no other reason for the underinvestment in our area other than we don’t have a serious political contest either side of the border.”

Wodonga Athletics Club has also called for upgrades to antiquated facilities and AFL North East Border wants the Baranduda Fields project to be funded to give junior football teams more space.

The sporting organisations said Wodonga Council had worked hard for grants, but had not been supported by government.

Independent Benambra candidate and soccer player Jacqui Hawkins backed the sporting groups, saying their efforts to attract major sporting events was being “undermined”.

“Sport is so much more than just playing a game on the weekend – it is about health, social inclusion and connections, and it is where I first understood the value of leadership,” she said.

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