Craig Johnston calls for McDonald Jones Stadium western stand to be named after Matildas legend Cheryl Salisbury.

"I think so much of her, it would be lovely to name it after her for all she's done for Australian soccer," Johnston said.

Johnston said it was about "being an old-fashioned gentleman from Newcastle when it was always ladies first, especially when opening a door".

"I think we're losing our way with manners and old-fashioned Australian values, so please get on and name this beautiful stadium after this beautiful woman."

Salisbury said she had known Johnston for years and respected his comments.

"It's definitely a time when people do look at equality," she said, adding it was "extremely apparent" that there were few grandstands named after women. She said young girls now had "women to look up to", such as the Matildas and Ash Barty.

"When I grew up my idol was Craig Johnston, but I could never be like him because I was a girl. I'm never one to want to be in the spotlight a great deal, so I'd like to shy away from having a stand named after me.

"But at the same time, I think I fought for that equality and I need to fight for it now. In that respect, it would be great. It wouldn't be for myself, but half the population that are women."

Johnston was coaching kids at Woolgoolga United Football Club last weekend when he heard about an article by Herald sports editor Robert Dillon, reviving calls for the western stand to be named after him.

Dillon has written numerous opinion pieces over more than a decade asserting that the stand should be named after Johnston.

His latest piece, published last Saturday, questioned why Venues NSW had not named the western grandstand for so long. The eastern grandstand was named after Knights legend Andrew Johns in 2007.

Dillon wrote that Venues NSW had - a few years ago - been looking to "move away" from naming grandstands.

Since then, he noted, plans were revealed to name stands at the new football stadium at Moore Park after rugby league legends Arthur Beetson and Ron Coote, former Socceroos skipper Johnny Warren and rugby union icon Sir Nicholas Shehadie.

The western Sydney stadium, which opened in 2019, had stands named after Parramatta greats Ken Thornett, Mick Cronin, Brett Kenny and Peter Sterling.

As well as Johnston, Dillon wrote that Salisbury was "the other name worthy of consideration". She played a record 151 games for the Matildas and captained her country for many years.

Johnston played 190 games for Liverpool, winning five league titles, one FA Cup, two League Cups and the European Cup. He is Australia's most decorated footballer, having won more silverware than the combined efforts of all other Australians who've made it in top-flight English football.

Johnston was thankful to Dillon for backing him.

"But for me, it's not about the glory. It's about doing the right thing and getting the right message out, so the kids copy and follow this message: ladies first."

Johnston said naming the stadium after Salisbury would be "timely and fitting, especially with the Women's World Cup coming up".

"I'm very happy to say, 'Cheryl, I really want this stadium named and I really want it named after you'."

McDonald Jones Stadium venue manager Dean Mantle said "Cheryl and Craig have made huge contributions to Australian sport and are among many Hunter athletes worthy of greater recognition". "That said, there are no immediate plans to review the naming of stands and other facilities at McDonald Jones Stadium." Such a review would involve a "lengthy consultation".

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