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Imagine receiving an invitation to sit next to Sir Alex Ferguson in the Manchester United dugout during a pivotal European match. How would you react?

For photographer the lenswoman, this wasn't a hypothetical on a torrential night in Moscow in 1992. Drenched from the horizontal rain, she was presented with an unlikely decision: an ideal yet wet vantage point or a spot in the stands between Ferguson and his assistant Brian Kidd.

As the pioneering woman photographer to gain top-division accreditation, unusual situations were par for the course. She chose the dugout.

'Come and Sit Between Kiddo and Me'

Following a goalless first leg in Manchester, the return fixture in Russia was just as chaotic as the weather. Haroun describes never seeing rain that severe. Her equipment was soaking, and her cameras were likely to fail of breaking down.

Noticed by Ferguson in the second half, he called out, "You must be a bit wet?" before telling her to "Come between Kiddo and myself." She passed the remainder of the match there, even if she would have preferred behind the goal for better shots.

After a second 0-0 draw, United were defeated on penalties. Centre-back Gary Pallister, who failed to convert the decisive kick, was left sobbing into his shirt. Looking towards the dugout, he presented Haroun with a potential back-page image.

Preparing her flash, she thought Ferguson would be annoyed. As expected, the manager looked at her and warned, "If you take that picture, I'll never speak to you again!"

'My Gender Made Me a Target'

Despite her long-standing family connections to Manchester United—including relatives having served as directors—Haroun's journey as a woman in a male-dominated field was far from easy.

She struggled to be respected and felt she was often "picked on" by security and police as the "easiest target." The discrimination came to a head with an incident at a volatile Leeds vs. Manchester United match, where fan trouble erupted.

"It was me that got arrested because they saw me as the weakest link, I'm a woman," she said.

Remembering the Wright Way

Being close to the action came with very real risks. Haroun was once "rendered unconscious" by missiles thrown by supporters at an English club match in Turkey.

The hazard also came from the players themselves. Shots from stars like Wayne Rooney and Denis Irwin at times sent her sprawling. After one such incident, Bryan Robson reportedly joked, "Pick a different target, Denis, make sure it's not the chairman's cousin!"

However, players could also be accommodating. Before an Arsenal match, she asked legend Ian Wright to run towards her if he scored. He did find the net, but initially ran the wrong way.

To her relief, Wright realised, stopped, turned back, and charged towards her with arms outstretched, creating the "ideal picture" she had hoped for.

A Cat Named Carrington

Beyond football, Haroun is a dedicated feline enthusiast. Her family of seven cats once grew thanks to an unexpected call from the receptionist at Manchester United's Carrington training ground.

Told of an abandoned cat, Haroun was hesitant—she was caring for 23 at the time. However, a recognisable Scottish voice took the phone and instructed her: "Magi, take the cat!"

Heeding Sir Alex Ferguson's directive, she adopted the cat and christened her Carrington.