Whatever will be, will be: Whatever will be, will be: A Matter of Life and Football – Shortlisted for Charles Tyrwhitt Football Book of the Year and Sports Audiobook of the Year 2026 - Softcover

White, Felix

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1788405609 ISBN 13: 9781788405607

Publisher: Cassell, 2026

Synopsis

'Written with such an emotional literacy that you want to show it to people who don't see the point of football so you can go "This! This is what it's all about. This is why it's great!" I highly recommend it'.
- Jim Campbell, Football Ramble

'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

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.

About this title

About the Author

Felix White is a musician, broadcaster and co-founder of independent record label, Yala! He has also, for as long as his conscious memory extends, been in love with the game of cricket. Neither of his parents - from Lebanon and the Isle of Wight - were into the game, so it is a slight mystery to everyone that he took to it as much as he did. He co-presents BBC podcast Tailenders with Greg James and England's most successful ever fast bowler Jimmy Anderson, which has proved a 'safe space' in which to channel his enthusiasm for it regularly. The Maccabees, the band for whom he is renowned, released four studio albums and split at their commercial peak after 14 years together, off the back of a UK number one album and major festival headline shows. He lives in South London where he continues to work on numerous musical projects, including film scores, and has still not overcome his rational fear of a cricket ball.

Edition details

• Publisher: Cassell
• Publication date: 2026
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1788405609
• ISBN 13: 9781788405607
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 288