In a groundbreaking moment for the FA Cup, Hazzana Parnell, 38, and her 16-year-old daughter, Remaya Osbourne, became the first mother and daughter pair to play in the competition. Both players are strikers for the non-league team, Hednesford Town Women. This achievement brings to life a rare dream in football, for both men and women, of playing alongside your child.
“As a mother, you try to give your child the best you can,” Parnell, the Hednesford Town forward, Hazzana told The Guardian. “The ball will be on the line, and I’ll lay it back for her, as if saying: ‘Go on, you have it.’”
Parnell’s career started at age 11 with a trial at Aston Villa, where she earned a spot. After an impressive game against Birmingham City, she moved there and played until she was 17.
She then played for several teams, including Fulham, Charlton, Nottingham Forest, and West Brom, working under managers like Keith Boanas and Matt Beard. Parnell also represented England’s Under-19 team.
The birth of Remaya initially put her football career on hold.
She said, “I had Remaya, took a time out, away from football, and never thought I’d go back into it. I just stumbled back into the game. I suppose you can never really get rid of it; it’s in your heart forever. I used to take her along to games. It’s just amazing to see her on the pitch with me. It’s a bit surreal.”
Parnell, who had retired, was contacted by her former teammate, Laura Hodgkiss. Hodgkiss, co-manager of Hednesford’s women’s team with her partner Jared, a former professional footballer, asked Parnell to consider training with the team.
“It gave me that little buzz back,” she recounted. “So, I was playing there, Remaya turned 16 and came along to training, and Laura was like: ‘Remaya, you’re signing.’”
Today, the two strikers are a successful scoring partnership. A notable example is Parnell assisting her daughter’s goal in Hednesford’s FA Cup second round qualifying win against Bromsgrove Sporting. Following earlier victories over Hereford and SJR Worksop, the team has now progressed to the next stage.
“We’re both just so connected,” Osbourne noted. “I see her visions and she can see mine.”
Football has always been a family tradition for Osbourne. Her father, Isaac Osbourne, and uncle, Isaiah Osbourne, both played professionally, and her cousins are also involved in the sport.
“I’ve always just grown up with the sport,” Osbourne explained. “I used to enjoy going to my dad’s games when I was younger, and mum used to take me along to her training sessions and matches, and I just enjoyed it.”
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She added, “The first team that I played for, my dad joined in with the training and every team after that, he’s kind of helped with the training. There’s always been a family member there, so I couldn’t really escape them—even if I wanted to.”
The proud mother finds the current accessibility of football for young girls and women incredibly fulfilling.
She recounted her own struggles, saying, “My brother used to play for Derby and I used to beg the coach to let me join in. For the last 10 minutes at the end of training he’s like: ‘Come on then.’ It was so difficult finding other groups of girls that played football but Remaya just grew up in it. It’s nice to see that I’ve been able to make a contribution to the pathway that’s created for her to be able to access now.”
Parnell supports Osbourne’s passion for football but emphasized that she won’t pressure her into a professional career, stating, “I’d never put that pressure on her. I just want her to create a path for herself and enjoy her journey that she’s on. If Remaya ever turns around to me and says she’s not enjoying football and doesn’t want to do it, then I’ll support her. Her happiness is what comes first.”
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