British content creator Ellis Platten – better known online as AwayDays – recently spent a week in Lithuania and turned the trip into one of his most talked‑about episodes. In a nearly 25‑minute video titled “I Became a Football Team’s ONLY Fan,” Ellis and friends sets out to follow A Lyga side FK Riteriai. The result is a blend of parody and genuine curiosity that has already attracted tens of thousands of views and a flood of online comments.
Platten’s reputation comes from travelling the world to watch football in unusual places. His AwayDays YouTube channel has more than half a million subscribers and has featured everything from Premier League derbies to non‑league fixtures, always with a personal, often self‑deprecating narration. In a separate video exploring Lithuanian sport, Platten admitted that he had always assumed football was the world’s game “until I came to Lithuania,” noting that in a country where basketball rules, football sometimes feels like an afterthought.
That cultural backdrop colours his latest visit. Platten and two friends arrive in Vilnius declaring themselves Riteriai’s “only fans” – even unveiling a specially printed Lithuanian flag with the club’s crest and the words “Riteriai supports” on one side and “The Only Fans” on the other. They attend a league match at LFF Stadium, where Riteriai share the ground with city giants Žalgiris, and count the crowd at roughly 200 spectators. Platten jokes that even the club’s ultras are outnumbered by stewards. Yet he also takes time to speak with staff and players, filming inside Riteriai’s changing room and even joining the team bus for an away trip to Kaunas. There, local fans greet them with applause and chants; the visitors may have lost 0–3, but the encounter showcases a warmth that goes beyond results.
The video’s tone oscillates between satire and sincerity. Platten pokes fun at the lack of travelling support and the modest facilities, but he praises Riteriai for their hospitality and notes that every club – no matter how small – “means everything to someone”. He calls the Lithuanian league “refreshingly real” compared with the hyper‑commercialised world of top‑tier football. The AwayDays crew also highlight the dedication of Riteriai’s players, many of whom work day jobs.
Reaction to the episode has been mixed but engaged. Many Lithuanian viewers in the comments thanked Platten for putting their league on the map, admitting that football has long been in the shadow of basketball but insisting that there is a passionate, if small, core of supporters. Others bristled at the idea that Riteriai have “no fans”, pointing out that clubs like FK Žalgiris and Kauno Žalgiris regularly draw larger crowds. Still others appreciated the humour but urged AwayDays to explore the thriving supporter culture at other Baltic clubs. The majority of international commenters expressed surprise and admiration for the crew’s willingness to travel so far for a “fourth‑tier‑sized” fixture, with many noting that the camaraderie on display in Kaunas underscored football’s universal appeal.
Platten’s visit also underscores broader realities about Lithuanian football. While the national team and top clubs have struggled for continental relevance, the domestic game is gradually professionalising. Matches are broadcast online, academies are improving and clubs such as Riteriai are increasingly active on social media.
Beyond Lithuania, the episode reinforces AwayDays’ unique niche. Platten continues to demonstrate that football culture is about far more than trophies and transfer fees; it’s about community, identity and the unexpected stories that unfold at stadiums many supporters will never see. As he notes in his video description: in a country where basketball dominates, the human stories of football reveal a complexity “more complicated — and more human — than [outsiders] expect”.
