Fulham F.C. of the early grounds listed below are likely to have been parks and parkland, which have now been developed. Even when the club purchased Craven Cottage and the surrounding land in 1894, they had to wait two years before they could play a game there. The Fulham mascot is Billy the Badger, who was the winning design sent in by Kyle Jackson after an online competition by the club. Billy the Badger wears the number 79 Fulham shirt, in reference to the club's year of founding, 1879. Controversy first surrounded Billy when he tried to cheer up Chelsea manager Avram
Bert Badger and turned professional ten months later with Football League side Woolwich Arsenal. However, Badger was unable to break into the first team, and left to join Hertfordshire club Watford in August 1906 without playing a first team game. Badger made 54 Southern League appearances while at Cassio Road, scoring 5 times, and also played twice in the FA Cup. He left Watford to join Brentford in 1908 and Nottingham Forest the following year. At Forest, Badger finally played in the Football League. Badger was first employed during the war as a special constable and then served with the Royal Garrison