Users have called for upgrades to the surface to make it safer to play on.

Glen Eira spokesman Paul Burke said $396,000 had been allocated to the reserve for the 2011–12 financial year.

Tucker ward councillor Jim Magee described the grounds as ‘‘woeful’’ and said cricket and football players risked injury on the unsafe surface.

‘‘The council has spent a lot on the grounds, but it’s just not good enough,’’ he said.

Cr Magee said the surface was so uneven and dead in parts that he was surprised umpires let last weekend’s cricket matches go ahead.

Cr Magee said he wanted to know why the reserve had not been brought up to scratch through existing allocations and that he would follow up with council staff to make sure contracted works had been correctly completed.

Grounds user and sports club member Tony Doyle said McKinnon Reserve needed more of a share of funds given the council’s $26.8 million Glen Eira Sports and Aquatic Centre project.

‘‘We can’t get a new scoreboard but they’ll spend all that money building something that can be seen from the moon in Bentleigh East,’’ he said.

Mr Burke said in the 2011–12 financial year, $60,000 had been allocated to bathroom and electrical upgrades, $110,000 to remove unsafe trees, $140,000 for tree planting and landscaping, drip irrigation and safety fencing, $6000 for turf around the cricket wicket and $80,000 for sports ground training lights to be installed.