From Passyunk Avenue to a Darius Slay pep rally, here’s a guide to London for Birds fans
The Eagles won't arrive to London until 36 hours before Sunday's game. but there will be plenty of activities for Birds fan to enjoy across the pond.
The Eagles are not spending much time in London.
Coach Nick Sirianni told reporters that the team will depart Friday and fly overnight to the United Kingdom’s capital. The team will arrive less than 36 hours before kickoff against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday (9:30 a.m., NFL Network).
Unlike the Eagles, thousands of Birds fans traveling for the game will have time to take in the city. Here’s our Eagles fan guide to London.
Where do I find fellow Birds fans?
Birds fans are again looking to take over their host city.
The Green Legion is hosting a pregame party on Sunday at Tottenham Community Sports Centre from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. The tailgate will feature food, drinks, and music. The fan group made sure to bring traditional South Philly tailgate games, like beer pong and cornhole, over the pond. Tickets can be purchased on Green Legion’s site.
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Philly Sports Trips will also host events for Eagles fans. On Friday, the group is hosting a four-hour dinner cruise on the Thames River. Then, on Saturday, the group is throwing a pep rally with former Eagles corner Darius Slay at Waterloo’s Passyunk Avenue bar from noon to 4 p.m. To end the weekend, the group is hosting a pregame tailgate outside of Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Tickets can be purchased on Philly Sports Trips’ site.
What’s Passyunk Avenue?
For Philadelphians visiting United Kingdom, visiting one of Passyunk Avenue’s locations has become a “must” in recent years. The bars are authentically Philadelphian.
The bar chain opened its first location in the Fitzrovia neighborhood in 2018. Owner JP Teti now runs locations located in Fitzrovia, Waterloo, Battersea, and Kensington (not that one). There’s also Passyunk Play, a game-focused bar that can also be found in Waterloo. Inquirer food reporter Michael Klein caught up with Teti earlier this week.
“Coming from a South Philly Italian American ethnic inheritance, I think about food constantly,” Teti told The Inquirer. “I wondered why, in a city as diverse as London, you couldn’t get hoagies, cheesesteaks, chicken parms, and so on.”
Passyunk Ave is hosting two unique events for Eagles fans this weekend.
The Wooderloo Terminal Market will run from Thursday to Saturday. The market is modeled after Philadelphia’s Reading Terminal Market and will feature entertainment, food vendors, drinks, and merchandise. Then, on Saturday, the bar is hosting an Eagles-themed tour of London on a red double-decker bus.
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Where can I experience the other “football?”
If you got hooked during the World Cup or are a longtime fan of the sport, there are plenty of ways to engage with soccer in London this weekend.
On Friday, you can catch an English Football League Championship game. At 8 p.m. London time, West Ham United will face off with Queens Park Rangers at London Stadium. Tickets start at just $47. On Saturday, you can attend a Premier League matchup between Arsenal and Leeds for a steeper price. The game, played in Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium at 7:30 p.m. local time, has an entry price of $257.
If you don’t have time to catch a game in person, London’s top clubs both have museums in the city. The Arsenal Football Club Museum is located in North London while Chelsea’s resides in West London.
What are some tourist spots?
London is almost 2,000 years old. It’s hard to find a street corner that isn’t a tourist spot, but here’s some recommendations:
It would not be a trip to London without taking a ride on the London Eye. The massive Ferris wheel is 135 miles high and offers fantastic views of the city.
You can “Come Together” with some of your fellow Eagles fans at Abbey Road in northwest London. The famous street was featured on the cover of The Beatles’ 1969 album of the same name and has since become a tourist mainstay.
For history buffs, consider checking out the Churchill War Rooms — the underground headquarters for English Prime Minister Winston Churchill during World War II. Guided tours of the untouched war rooms can be purchased on the museum’s website.
Philadelphia’s favorite founding father, Benjamin Franklin, spent a large part of his life in London. The Benjamin Franklin house at 36 Craven Street is Franklin’s only remaining home. Franklin, a known prankster, would probably enjoy an eagles chant in his old abode.
William Shakespeare might not have made sense in high school but give him another chance this weekend. You can catch As You Like It, a comedy written by Shakespeare, at the historic Globe Theatre. The play has available showtimes on Thursday, Friday, and Sunday.
Given Philadelphians’ love-hate (mostly hate) relationship with SEPTA, it is hard to imagine a subway doubling up as a tourist attraction. However, The Tube, London’s transit system, has become iconic in its own right.
