In 1904, Gus Mears acquired the Stamford Bridge athletics stadium

with the aim of turning it into a football ground. An offer to lease it to

nearby Fulham was turned down, so Mears opted to found his own
club to use the stadium. As there was already a team named Fulham in
the borough, the name of the adjacent borough of Chelsea was chosen
for the new club; names like Kensington FC, Stamford Bridge FC and
London FC were also considered.[12] Chelsea were founded on 10
March 1905 at The Rising Sun pub (now The Butcher's Hook),[1][13]
opposite the presentday
main entrance to the ground on Fulham Road,
and were elected to the Football League shortly afterwards.