LONDON -- Donning red Phillies hats, light blue jerseys and red jerseys, fans at Passyunk Avenue on Thursday were thrilled to spot a couple of well-known former Major League players in this Phillies-themed pub in London.

MLB Ambassadors Chase Utley and Shane Victorino, two of the more popular former Phillies, walked toward the batting cages experience in the back of the pub, ready to do a live spot with hosts from MLB Network’s afternoon show, MLB Central. Fans waited patiently by the steps; when the players got close, the rowdiness began.

“It’s so cool to see,” said Utley, who played for the Phillies from 2003-15. “There’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes and now to see it come to fruition is great. Lot of Phillies hats, obviously a lot of Phillies fans, and it’s a special time along with my teammates.”

Utley and Victorino were not the only alumni of the two teams featured in the “MLB World Tour: London Series” to make appearances on the show. Mets Hall of Famers Mookie Wilson and Mike Piazza were also there, perhaps to a bit less fanfare, given this was a Phillies-themed bar. Clearly, rivalries between teams aren’t limited to their hometowns, or even their country of origin. Across the pond, fans also understand the long-standing rivalry between these two NL East clubs.

The former players reflected on their time as part of the rivalry, what it means to them now and how the fans in London are in for a special experience.

Piazza with ties to Mets and Phillies
Growing up in Philly, Piazza was always surrounded by the intense fandom and he loved it. He was a big fan of the Philadelphia teams throughout the 1970s, watching Bob Boone, Willie Montañez, Pete Rose and Larry Bowa.

“Those were great teams to watch as a kid, they were great teams,” said Piazza, who played for the Mets from 1998-2005 and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., in 2016. “I mean, they won a World Series in ‘80 after a few tries and went to the World Series in ‘83. It was a very strong winning tradition, and as a kid, it was fun to watch.”

While the catcher went on to play for one of his hometown team’s rivals, the passion of the Philly sports community inspired him a lot. The 12-time All-Star and 10-time Silver Slugger recipient said that while he lost his “Philly cred,” one of his favorite memories of his career was playing in his hometown.

However, when asked who he is rooting for, there was only one answer.

“I am with the Mets. I’ve been with them, I’m in their Hall of Fame, and I still enjoy working with them and doing a lot of the community outreach stuff that we do and alumni stuff,” he said. “I will always enjoy my youth in Philly, but I’ll be rooting for the Mets.”

Wilson’s rivalry memories
Wilson entered into the rivalry that existed long before he began playing. Wilson remembers trips to Philadelphia where there would be 50 percent Mets fans and vice versa at Shea Stadium. The intensity between both fan bases was evident wherever they played.

He knew the series was always very important, but it was most prominent during the Mets’ run to clinch the division en route to winning the 1986 World Series. With two games needed to clinch, the Mets and Phillies squared off.

“I think that might be the only time other than the beginning of the season that we lost two games in Philly,” said Wilson, who played for the Mets from 1980-89. “We wanted to do it there and we didn’t. That shows you that even though they were out of it, they were still very close.”

Victorino reflects on fans’ passion
Victorino said that the Phillies would show up to play against every opponent, but when it came to playing in a Mets-Phillies series, the fans’ energy was stronger and louder.

“That energy you could feel, some I would call tension,” said Victorino, who played in Philadelphia from 2005-12. “That, as a player, you feel it. It almost intertwines yourself as players and you become part of it on the field. Back in the day, we really didn’t like each other and respectfully so. We were great teams and we were both trying to find a way to take each other down, become the division winner.”

The spirit of the rivalry would manifest into some chirping on the field between players, which according to the two-time World Series champion, came from mutual respect. The rivalry will resume in Game 1 of the London Series on Saturday at 1:10 p.m. ET at London Stadium.

“We did get into heated things, but that’s part of what the game is about,” Victorino said.