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.
What did I think?
It's the song that every football fan has sung and we're going to Wem-ber-ley with Felix White as he takes us on a journey through every round of the 2024/25 FA Cup. You're singing it now, aren't you?
It's an ambitious quest but one that every football fan would love to do and I loved seeing where each chapter would take us next. Felix's matches take him from Frenchfield Park in Penrith where he was one of the 210 in attendance to Wembley packed with 84,163 supporters.
It's not simply a written record of each match, but it's about Felix's journey and the people he meets along the way. The book isn't just about football either; Felix is a musician and it was interesting reading more about his life, both professional and personal. I think writing this book will have proven very cathartic for him and I hope he has found what he is searching for.
Every football fan will recognise themselves in this book and I am more like Felix's friend Sharky than I care to admit. Whoops I just have! Sharky is an Everton fan who won't buy or wear anything remotely linked to Liverpool FC. I laughed out loud when he wouldn't even glance in the direction of Anfield; football doesn't half make us bitter!
The writing is very descriptive and my heart was pounding as the penalty shoot out in the Fulham v Manchester United game played out. I had to remind myself it's a game in the past and it's not even my team, but that's what penalties do to you!
Incredibly entertaining, interesting and witty, Whatever will be, will be is sure to delight any football fan. It's well-written and engaging; I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I received a gifted hardback to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
About the author:
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.
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