A BID by an Albury councillor to have outsiders brought in to suggest a name for Lavington Sports Ground has been scuttled.
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John Stuchbery wanted a decision on the proposed renaming of the ground to be deferred at Monday night's council meeting and "experts" engaged to coin a title for the redeveloped sporting hub.
Instead the council voted 8-1 to retain the name Lavington Sports Ground after strong community objections to a proposal to label it Albury-Wodonga Stadium.
However, the strong support to continue with the Lavington Sports Ground moniker followed more than 30 minutes of debate and two failed motions.
The first involved Cr Stuchbery arguing the name decision should be deferred for further investigation after an original staff recommendation called for it to be known as Lavington Stadium Albury.
He argued it was not a stadium and Lavington was an unknown name across Australia.
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"I think Albury and potentially Wodonga needs to be in the name," Cr Stuchbery said.
"We need to spend a little bit more money getting some experts in to help us choose a name for the complex which will give it national and international name recognition."
Councillor Alice Glachan said "our experts are the community" and they strongly wanted Lavington kept in the name.
Cr Stuchbery's motion was lost 5-4, with councillor David Thurley than putting forward a motion that the hub be named Lavington Sports Ground - Albury.
Councillor Darren Cameron condemned the incorporation of Albury in the title.
"I don't think we should be ashamed or resile from the name Lavington," Cr Cameron said.
"The idea that we should have some hyphenated name like some bourgeoisie Englishman is just ridiculous, it doesn't add anything and it will only serve to confuse people."
Cr Thurley's motion was lost 5-4 and Cr Cameron's call it the site to be simply known as Lavington Sportsground won 8-1 support.
The only councillor to oppose it was Murray King, who did not speak through the debate.
Former mayor Henk van de Ven had argued the area should be known as the Lavington Sports Precinct, because the revamped site supported multiple locales for football, cricket, cycling and netball.
