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Whatever Will Be, Will Be: A Matter of Life and Football
From the
Sunday Times
bestselling author of
It's Always Summer Somewhere
comes a moving and often hilarious journey through the 2024/25 FA Cup - from the first muddy preliminary round in Penrith to
a glorious sunny day at Wembley.
On the brink of turning 40, Felix White sets out to watch a match from every round of the Cup, meeting fans, players and dreamers at every level of the English game. As he travels the country, football becomes a way to explore memory, identity, grief and joy. While he reflects on his own lifelong obsessions, his story becomes a unique expression of how the game communicates something vital, both literal and internal, between a child and an adult.
Told with lyrical wit and heartfelt honesty, Whatever Will Be, Will Be is more than just a story about football - it's about growing up, holding on and the strange ways sport connects us all.
a glorious sunny day at Wembley.
On the brink of turning 40, Felix White sets out to watch a match from every round of the Cup, meeting fans, players and dreamers at every level of the English game. As he travels the country, football becomes a way to explore memory, identity, grief and joy. While he reflects on his own lifelong obsessions, his story becomes a unique expression of how the game communicates something vital, both literal and internal, between a child and an adult.
Told with lyrical wit and heartfelt honesty, Whatever Will Be, Will Be is more than just a story about football - it's about growing up, holding on and the strange ways sport connects us all.
- GenresFootballSportsNonfiction
290 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 30, 2025
68 people are currently reading
198 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
January 11, 2026
Some extremely relatable thoughts on football and some not so much. More of a football book than the previous one cricket, speaking to friends about how they found football was less interesting to me than the discussions he had in the previous book with ex players.
'We complain that it isn't like it was.Then we shrug and keep watching" is spot on.
As he described the FA CUP final, a sense of irritation came over me for Spurs just being knocked out, as he described Palace winning it made me remember that Big Ange came good and I must not forget it.
'We complain that it isn't like it was.Then we shrug and keep watching" is spot on.
As he described the FA CUP final, a sense of irritation came over me for Spurs just being knocked out, as he described Palace winning it made me remember that Big Ange came good and I must not forget it.
November 20, 2025
fock me what a beautiful bit of writing THAT is btw
January 14, 2026
I really enjoyed this book as it took me back to why I got into football in the first place. Felix writes in such a free flowing way and many of his experiences - from early childhood to now - really resonated with those I’ve had through my life. From standing on the side of a pitch in the early rounds of a cup run, to the slightly dissociative state sport can find you in, I’d recommend this to anyone who wants an insight into the life lessons that football can teach you about grief, hurt, joy, and a whole range of other emotions.
February 1, 2026
Not the sort of thing I'd normally turn to - not least because of that awful cover - but it was given to me by someone whose opinion I trust, and it has a comment from Amol Rajan on the back, so.... Have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it, with - at times - a perfect capture of what it is to follow a mediocre football team. The account of his nephew's gradual but total falling in love with football was rather moving. Possibly a bit too much Maccabees, but if you're in a successful band you're going to bang on about it, aren't you? And Linvoy Primus features, which is marvellous.
November 15, 2025
A gorgeous rumination on football and therefore masculinity, humanity and pain.
Articulating what sport is, beyond kicking a ball around and why it matters, is something Felix White does beautifully. Football has infiltrated the national psyche to the point it can be completely unapologetic about it.
To read this book is to yearn for the best parts of sport : The togetherness of loss, the bittersweetness of hope and the unadulterated joy of finally winning.
Articulating what sport is, beyond kicking a ball around and why it matters, is something Felix White does beautifully. Football has infiltrated the national psyche to the point it can be completely unapologetic about it.
To read this book is to yearn for the best parts of sport : The togetherness of loss, the bittersweetness of hope and the unadulterated joy of finally winning.
January 8, 2026
Would not have thought of picking this up and reading it myself, if it wasn’t for it being a Christmas present.
Certainly helped pique my interest more given the author is the guitarist in The Maccabees.
Really enjoyed his writing style and the insights you get into his own relationship with football.
Certainly helped pique my interest more given the author is the guitarist in The Maccabees.
Really enjoyed his writing style and the insights you get into his own relationship with football.
January 14, 2026
Epic! The FA Cup is the greatest competition in the world and this book pays homage to it fantastically. Hard to resist not wanting to emulate Felix's journey yourself...
January 29, 2026
I fell into this beautiful book almost by mistake while unable to sleep one night. I'd heard Felix talking about it on The Guardian's Football Weekly podcast and thought "nice idea - following the FA Cup round by round - but a bit too nerdy for me". How wrong I was. This is a raw, funny and moving tour around English football grounds, from Bovril-scented lower-league terraces to the spaceship enormo-domes of the Premier League, and it fast became my audio soulmate over the course of a week - especially as the writer narrates it himself in soft south London vowels.
Felix perfectly captures the madness of football fandom in a way that I've rarely found before. He does an unusual thing and helps the reader put aside personal affiliations (although we bond anyway over Manchester United hatred) and move closer to understanding the universal life-and-death-ness of wanting something to happen (your team to win) that is not really that important and definitely beyond our control.
Elegantly described autobiographical elements sit within the structure of the FA Cup's various stages, from White's unexplored grief following the loss of his mum in his teens to his worries about becoming middle aged and his admission to himself that being busy ("never saying no to anything") might actually be a cover for addressing the shifting emotional phases of life and love and all that stuff. His description of indoctrinating his nephew into dangerous levels of Fulham fandom are hilarious and emotionally searing all at once.
I'd love to bump into Felix in a pub and just chat....even though I support Leeds.
Felix perfectly captures the madness of football fandom in a way that I've rarely found before. He does an unusual thing and helps the reader put aside personal affiliations (although we bond anyway over Manchester United hatred) and move closer to understanding the universal life-and-death-ness of wanting something to happen (your team to win) that is not really that important and definitely beyond our control.
Elegantly described autobiographical elements sit within the structure of the FA Cup's various stages, from White's unexplored grief following the loss of his mum in his teens to his worries about becoming middle aged and his admission to himself that being busy ("never saying no to anything") might actually be a cover for addressing the shifting emotional phases of life and love and all that stuff. His description of indoctrinating his nephew into dangerous levels of Fulham fandom are hilarious and emotionally searing all at once.
I'd love to bump into Felix in a pub and just chat....even though I support Leeds.
February 2, 2026
An entertaining book - part autobiography, part a round by round story of the 2024/25 FA Cup. The almost final chapters concerns the final and the victory of the underdogs, my team - Crystal Palace. It wouldn’t have been given to me as a Christmas present without this bit of the story.
The football is interspersed memories of growing up, the band he was in, and now is in - The Macabees, as well as friendships that link the team(s) to his past. The first match was an Extra Preliminary round match at Penrith where the chairman drove him to Kendal Calling, where his band was playing, after the game.
The football is more about people watching and meeting people. Don’t expect a minute by minute dissection of what happened and why. As the competition progresses the games covered are often those with a story and or friendships behind them. But it loses its way on Wembley Way (perhaps before), he recognises he was an imposter amongst Palace fans and the passion of the day was largely lost - the hanging on from 16 minutes, the utter disbelief in victory and being able to sing ‘when Joel went up to lift the FA Cup we were there’ and ‘12th again, who gives a f***, we won the FA Cup’ - the latter sung on the tube into central London. You can’t get that passion when writing as a project for a club you don’t support.
That said, for the footballing neutral it is probably a great read.
One thing to rewrite for the second edition - he noted for the Third Round ‘the years at this stage have been largely magicless, though since 2011….’ Up step Macclesfield in 2026 to vanquish the holders.
The football is interspersed memories of growing up, the band he was in, and now is in - The Macabees, as well as friendships that link the team(s) to his past. The first match was an Extra Preliminary round match at Penrith where the chairman drove him to Kendal Calling, where his band was playing, after the game.
The football is more about people watching and meeting people. Don’t expect a minute by minute dissection of what happened and why. As the competition progresses the games covered are often those with a story and or friendships behind them. But it loses its way on Wembley Way (perhaps before), he recognises he was an imposter amongst Palace fans and the passion of the day was largely lost - the hanging on from 16 minutes, the utter disbelief in victory and being able to sing ‘when Joel went up to lift the FA Cup we were there’ and ‘12th again, who gives a f***, we won the FA Cup’ - the latter sung on the tube into central London. You can’t get that passion when writing as a project for a club you don’t support.
That said, for the footballing neutral it is probably a great read.
One thing to rewrite for the second edition - he noted for the Third Round ‘the years at this stage have been largely magicless, though since 2011….’ Up step Macclesfield in 2026 to vanquish the holders.
December 20, 2025
Celebrities’ reminiscences about their relationship with football have been ten a penny since the advent of “Fever Pitch”. This attempt by Felix White – ex-guitarist with The Maccabees - is a cut above the competition. What elevates “Whatever Will Be, Will Be” above its peers is that White is such an elegant, thoughtful writer, whose football fandom never comes across as contrived or affected.
The premise of “Whatever Will Be, Will Be” is White’s quest to go to a match in every single round of the FA Cup, from the preliminary round in remote Penrith to the final at Wembley. But the book is much more than a mere travelogue, as Felix White offers an extended reflection on the inherent heartbreak of being a football fan of unsuccessful club (how it can be “like inheriting a box of sadness”). White nails the importance of football grounds as being “a congregation” – a communal place where people can lose themselves. And he astutely sees how football, no matter how poor a standard or low a level it is being played at, can act as balm for the troubled soul. “Whatever Will Be, Will Be” is an unexpectedly affecting read.
The premise of “Whatever Will Be, Will Be” is White’s quest to go to a match in every single round of the FA Cup, from the preliminary round in remote Penrith to the final at Wembley. But the book is much more than a mere travelogue, as Felix White offers an extended reflection on the inherent heartbreak of being a football fan of unsuccessful club (how it can be “like inheriting a box of sadness”). White nails the importance of football grounds as being “a congregation” – a communal place where people can lose themselves. And he astutely sees how football, no matter how poor a standard or low a level it is being played at, can act as balm for the troubled soul. “Whatever Will Be, Will Be” is an unexpectedly affecting read.
February 16, 2026
I loved that I finished reading this book on an FA Cup weekend!! @felixwhite takes you on a journey through all the rounds of the FA cup in 2024/25 from the extra preliminary round (Penrith v Pickering Town) in August to the final at Wembley in May (Crystal Palace v Man City)
If you love football, you will love this book. It talks about finding your tribe, the highs and lows of supporting your team and the magic of the FA Cup.
There are some lovely passages in the book talking about how football makes you feel. “It stills my head a touch. It simplifies life for that moment. Everyone screaming blasphemy or hurt or celebration into the air, not a single feeling or thought or criticism going unvoiced.”
“Bookshops and record shops, cinemas and football matches - all these places ask of you is that you love them, that you commit to them. I realise why football is talked about as a religion. It is a congregation, where you put yourself in a place and pray for something good to happen, where you acknowledge you have no control over your fate, and you all put yourself hands together, at the same time, in the same place.”
If you love football, you will love this book. It talks about finding your tribe, the highs and lows of supporting your team and the magic of the FA Cup.
There are some lovely passages in the book talking about how football makes you feel. “It stills my head a touch. It simplifies life for that moment. Everyone screaming blasphemy or hurt or celebration into the air, not a single feeling or thought or criticism going unvoiced.”
“Bookshops and record shops, cinemas and football matches - all these places ask of you is that you love them, that you commit to them. I realise why football is talked about as a religion. It is a congregation, where you put yourself in a place and pray for something good to happen, where you acknowledge you have no control over your fate, and you all put yourself hands together, at the same time, in the same place.”
November 20, 2025
Felix does it again
This is my second Felix White book and while I thought “It’s Always Summer Somewhere” would be hard to beat “Whatever Will Be, Will Be: A Matter of Life and Football” gives it a run for its money. Felix weaves his own backstory and love for football, his mother, family, friends, and music in his journey across England watching football matches at every round of the 2025 FA Cup (2024-2025 season). The journeys to football grounds, the grounds themselves, the fans, and food, and each match are wonderfully described. Felix’s observations are on point and as a reader you feel like you are there; and as a Brit living in the US I connected with the recollections of games and football heroes past and own memories of attending games well down the English football league. Felix’s passion for the game and his beloved Fulham (“Yyyoooouu whhhiiitttes”) is on full display. I haven’t enjoyed a book about soccer as much as this since reading, many years ago Nick Hornby’s “Fever Pitch” and Bill Buford’s “Among the Thugs.”
This is my second Felix White book and while I thought “It’s Always Summer Somewhere” would be hard to beat “Whatever Will Be, Will Be: A Matter of Life and Football” gives it a run for its money. Felix weaves his own backstory and love for football, his mother, family, friends, and music in his journey across England watching football matches at every round of the 2025 FA Cup (2024-2025 season). The journeys to football grounds, the grounds themselves, the fans, and food, and each match are wonderfully described. Felix’s observations are on point and as a reader you feel like you are there; and as a Brit living in the US I connected with the recollections of games and football heroes past and own memories of attending games well down the English football league. Felix’s passion for the game and his beloved Fulham (“Yyyoooouu whhhiiitttes”) is on full display. I haven’t enjoyed a book about soccer as much as this since reading, many years ago Nick Hornby’s “Fever Pitch” and Bill Buford’s “Among the Thugs.”
January 19, 2026
My interest in this book was piqued when the author was interviewed on the BBC during the half time break of a televised fixture in an early round of this season’s FA Cup. He came across well and obviously shared my passion for a competition that seems to have dropped down the list of priorities for many of the more successful teams. Attending a game in every round of the 2024-2025 FA Cup is a perfect vehicle for reasserting the ‘magic of the cup’ and his encounters with supporters along the way demonstrate the affection in which it continues to be held. Felix also does a great job setting the scene with a sharp eye for quirky details and I enjoyed the chapters detailing the games he attended very much. What worked less well were the chapters in between match reports where he contemplated life’s bigger issues in the context of football. Whilst I related to much of what he said, these chapters tended to run on repetitively and lacked a clear focus. At such times, I felt Felix was aspiring to write another ‘Fever Pitch’ but fell short. Still the lad done good though!
December 24, 2025
Football, eh?
A fantastic book about a magical sport. Bought this for my dad for Christmas but couldn't resist reading it first. Felix White perfectly captures the pain and glory of the beautiful game, and how it allows us to process the world around us in a way that's less scary.
The best thing I can say about it is it reads like it's written by someone who experiences the same feelings as me. White Gets It.
A fantastic book about a magical sport. Bought this for my dad for Christmas but couldn't resist reading it first. Felix White perfectly captures the pain and glory of the beautiful game, and how it allows us to process the world around us in a way that's less scary.
The best thing I can say about it is it reads like it's written by someone who experiences the same feelings as me. White Gets It.
January 1, 2026
One of the great football books. Uses the game to explore loneliness, friendship.
Beautifully written but funny and just gets the game. Basically it’s him going to a game for every round of the FA Cup. Does some non league stuff and is about how football helps out with loneliness and fills an important space in his life. He nails it.
Beautifully written but funny and just gets the game. Basically it’s him going to a game for every round of the FA Cup. Does some non league stuff and is about how football helps out with loneliness and fills an important space in his life. He nails it.
January 26, 2026
Felix White takes a journey through all the rounds of the FA Cup, from little known non-league grounds to Wembley itself, and documents his experiences in this brilliantly written adventure on football (soccer, for Americans) and life. I loved this book and can't recommend it highly enough if you're a fan of the beautiful game.
January 5, 2026
Loved this. I’m the same generation as Felix White so a lot of the cultural and sporting touchpoints echo with me, as do his feelings about how football can reflect the best (and worst) of society. Now very much buzzing for 3rd round weekend!
January 12, 2026
A fantastic journey through an FA Cup season. The beauty in the book is the understanding of the value of football for all. There are so many moments of nostalgia and emotion that make this book so much more than just a football book.
January 18, 2026
- evoked devastating memories of Coventry's 2024 semi-final defeat against man united (we were robbed)
- but I suppose that's the whole point really
- Felix writes about the emotions tied into sport like no-one else - a worthy follow up to his first
- but I suppose that's the whole point really
- Felix writes about the emotions tied into sport like no-one else - a worthy follow up to his first
Read
November 30, 2025This is genuinely the best football book since Fever Pitch.
December 3, 2025
A lovely wee book. Would recommend to fans of indie rock and foot le’ ball.
December 17, 2025
Football, Championship Manager, The Maccabees a book has never been more in my wheelhouse
January 3, 2026
perfect football book that’s only half about football
January 27, 2026
Great book for football fans, or really sports fans of any sort, but especially middle-aged men. it isn't just about the football.
January 31, 2026
4.15 / 5 - a very good read. I love non-league football and how it is integral to the identity of a community and the characters that develop from it. Having a fairy tail ending also helped!
February 15, 2026
He gets what it means to love football and all it’s associated feelings and emotions
November 10, 2025
Another corker from Felix. I’ve not followed football since I was a teenager, but this brought back memories from when I did. Loved sharing his journey from the prelims through to the final of the FA Cup and the stories of the people he met, his life and memories. He really evokes the atmosphere of the places he travels, the people he talks to and emotions of memory and his passion for the game. Interwoven with snippets from his life, music career and passing observations of people; little windows onto societal values and nuances and how they bring us together, it’s a great read and I inhaled the book. It’s left me thinking about it the day after too, the way a good book should. You don’t need to be a football fan to read this. It’s funny, heartwarming, sad, raw at times and honest. A great read.
February 7, 2026
Only Felix could make football so poetic
November 6, 2025
I'm a huge football fan ( Liverpool F.C ) and have been all my life, supporting the mighty reds being passed down through the generations. So this read really was right up my street and lived up to all my high expectations.
Fitst let's talk about the cover. I love the old school look, very much reminiscent of a begone era of football up until about the 1980's, before football shirts were covered in sponsorship.
Now onto the book. Although obviously football themed, it's not only about football, it's also a memoir, a snapshot of one life, and on some levels, an exploration of the human condition, love, sadness, joy, sorrow, hope and redemption.
We follow Felix as he sets out to attend an F.A Cup match from all rounds in one season, from the lowley non-league to the giants of the Premier League, ending at Wembley, and what follows is a beautiful ode to the beautiful game.
It's funny, it's thoughtful, it's heartfelt and heartwarming.
Just wonderful.
5 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 's from me.
Fitst let's talk about the cover. I love the old school look, very much reminiscent of a begone era of football up until about the 1980's, before football shirts were covered in sponsorship.
Now onto the book. Although obviously football themed, it's not only about football, it's also a memoir, a snapshot of one life, and on some levels, an exploration of the human condition, love, sadness, joy, sorrow, hope and redemption.
We follow Felix as he sets out to attend an F.A Cup match from all rounds in one season, from the lowley non-league to the giants of the Premier League, ending at Wembley, and what follows is a beautiful ode to the beautiful game.
It's funny, it's thoughtful, it's heartfelt and heartwarming.
Just wonderful.
5 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 's from me.
November 8, 2025
This is a really beautiful book. I love the raw and honest way Felix White writes. It’s not just about football, it’s about life and joy and belonging and pain and grief and so many other things. Even if you don’t like football, this is a brilliant book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews