Whatever will be, will be

A Matter of Life and Football

Felix White

$55

Hardback

Forthcoming
Pre-Order now

QTY:

English

Cassell
30 October 2025

Autobiography: sport; Sporting events, tours & organisations; Sports psychology; Ball games; Football (Soccer, Association football)

'A book so beautiful that it finally made me understand what football means. An exceptional writer.'

- Bella Mackie

'So much more than a book about football. A book about aging, community and memory. Rich in detail and great jokes. I wish I had written it.'

- Josh Widdicombe

'Mesmerising and unputdownable, like Fever Pitch meets The Sportswriter. I commend it in the highest terms.'

- Amol Rajan

Finding himself on the cusp of 40, on tour and contemplating his past, Felix takes the unusual step of watching Penrith Town in the first preliminary FA Cup round against Pickering Town. It kick starts a mission that sees him visit a match in every round of that season's Cup, taking in matches at the likes of Dulwich Hamlet, Haywards Heath, Cray Wanderers, Crawley Town, Etihad, Old Trafford and, of course, Wembley. Along the way, we meet all kinds of characters connected to the Clubs, and Felix draws out what football means to these people, how it brings their lives focus and (often misguided) hope, while he explores and re-defines what the 'magic' of the FA Cup actually is.

Touching on themes of belonging, aging, childhood, work addiction and coping with the vagaries of modern life, Whatever Will Be, Will Be will resonate with every football fan who understands what it means to give your heart to a club. It is an extremely unique document, both poignant and funny, of what going to watch football, at every level, is actually like. As the book develops into an exploration into footballs uncanny communication between childhood and adulthood, it becomes a story as much about England as it is about English football.

By: Felix White
Imprint: Cassell
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 153mm,
ISBN: 9781788405591
ISBN 10: 1788405595
Pages: 288
Publication Date: 30 October 2025
Audience: General/trade , College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , ELT Advanced , Primary
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Felix White is a British musician, best known as the guitarist of the British indie rock band The Maccabees. He is a founding member, guitarist and vocalist of 86TVs, and the broadcaster and co-founder of independent record label, Yala! He has also, for as long as he can remember, been passionate about sport, and is the co-presenter of the BBC podcast Tailenders with Greg James and Jimmy Anderson. His recent book It's Always Summer Somewhere: A Matter of Life and Cricket was a BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week and a Sunday Times Bestseller.

Reviews for Whatever will be, will be: A Matter of Life and Football

So much more than a book about football. A book about aging, community and memory. Rich in detail and great jokes. I wish I had written it. -- Josh Widdicombe Mesmerising and unputdownable, like Fever Pitch meets The Sportswriter. I commend it in the highest terms. -- Amol Rajan