Welcome to the Fulham branch of Chicken Cottage

Fulham FC has purchased eight new 'wingers' - namely eight hens - to live at the club's Motspur Park training ground in south-west London (Rex Features)

Egg puns spread through the football world like mayonnaise yesterday with the news that Fulham FC had purchased eight new "wingers" (etc... so on) – namely eight hens – to live at the club's Motspur Park training ground in south-west London (not far from Tom and Barbara Good's gaff in Surbiton).

The hens are expected to produce about 300 eggs each per year to be used to feed the likes of players such as Danny Murphy and Damien Duff, as well as the club's staff. Stored in a Premier League-worthy luxury coop, the hens – which are being named by Fulham fans on Twitter (Johnny Hens anyone?) – will also be joined by a vegetable plot and fruit trees in an environmental push by the club.

The Cottage Chickens aren't the only football club pets. Manchester City have had an "official" club cat, Wimblydon – an adopted stray – living at their Carrington training ground since 2001 and Crystal Palace have employed a 21-year-old North American Bald Eagle called Kayla as their mascot. Benfica also have an eagle, who once took a swipe at chairman Luís Filipe Vieira.

Needless to say, all these animals are probably more disciplined than their footballing teammates.