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Imagine being invited to sit next to Sir Alex Ferguson in the Manchester United dugout in the middle of a crucial European match. How would you react?

To photographer the lenswoman, this wasn't a hypothetical on a storm-lashed night in Moscow in 1992. Drenched from the horizontal rain, she was presented with an extraordinary choice: an ideal but soggy shooting position or a spot in the stands between Ferguson and his assistant Brian Kidd.

As the first female photographer to gain top-division accreditation, remarkable situations were all in a day's work. She chose the dugout.

'Come and Sit Between Kiddo and Me'

Following a scoreless first leg in Manchester, the return fixture in Russia was just as chaotic as the conditions. Haroun recalls witnessing rain that severe. Her equipment was drenched, and her cameras were likely to fail of failing.

Noticed by Ferguson in the second half, he called out, "You must be a bit wet?" before telling her to "Sit between Kiddo and myself." She passed the rest of the match there, even if she admitted she'd rather be behind the goal for superior shots.

After another 0-0 draw, United were defeated on penalties. Centre-back Gary Pallister, who missed the final kick, was seen sobbing into his shirt. Facing the dugout, he presented Haroun with a perfect back-page photograph.

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

'I Was Picked On Because I'm a Woman'

Regardless of her long-standing family connections to Manchester United—with family members having served as chairmen—Haroun's path as a woman in a male-dominated field was not always easy.

She found it tough to be respected and believed she was frequently "picked on" by security and police as the "weakest link." This even led to an arrest at a volatile Leeds vs. Manchester United match, where fan trouble broke out.

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

Remembering the Wright Way

Proximity to the action came with very real risks. Haroun was once "knocked out" by rocks thrown by supporters at an Aston Villa match in Turkey.

The hazard wasn't limited to the players themselves. Shots from legends like Wayne Rooney and Denis Irwin at times sent her sprawling. On one such occasion, Bryan Robson reportedly quipped, "Pick a different target, Denis, make sure it's not the chairman's cousin!"

However, players could also be helpful. Prior to an Arsenal match, she asked legend Ian Wright to celebrate 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 a triumphant yell, creating the "perfect picture" she had hoped for.

A Feline Named Carrington

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

Informed of an abandoned cat, Haroun was hesitant—she already had 23 at the time. But, a recognisable gruff voice came on the line and ordered her: "Magi, take the cat!"

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