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Imagine receiving an invitation to take a seat beside Sir Alex Ferguson in the Manchester United dugout during a crucial European match. How would you react?

For photographer Magi Haroun, this became a reality on a torrential night in Moscow in 1992. Soaked from the sideways rain, she was faced with an unlikely decision: an ideal but soggy 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, remarkable 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 second match in Russia was as unpredictable as the weather. Haroun describes witnessing rain that severe. Her equipment was soaking, and her cameras were on the verge of breaking down.

Noticed by Ferguson in the second half, he asked, "Are you 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 superior shots.

After a second 0-0 draw, United lost on penalties. Defender Gary Pallister, who missed the decisive kick, was left sobbing into his shirt. Looking towards the dugout, he presented Haroun with a potential front-page image.

With her flash ready, she knew Ferguson would be annoyed. True to form, the manager looked at her and warned, "Do that, I'll never speak to you again!"

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

Regardless of her deep family connections to Manchester United—including family members having served as chairmen—Haroun's path as a woman in a overwhelmingly male field was not always easy.

She struggled to be taken seriously and believed she was often "singled out" by security and police as the "easiest target." The discrimination even led to an arrest at a volatile Leeds vs. Manchester United match, where crowd 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 on one occasion "knocked out" by rocks thrown by supporters at an English club match in Turkey.

The danger wasn't limited to the players themselves. Shots from stars like Wayne Rooney and Denis Irwin also sent her sprawling. On one such occasion, Bryan Robson allegedly quipped, "If you're going to kill a photographer, Denis, make sure it's not the chairman's cousin!"

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

Fortunately, Wright remembered, stopped, turned back, and charged towards her with arms outstretched, allowing for the "ideal picture" she had envisioned.

A Feline Named Carrington

Away from football, Haroun is a dedicated cat lover. Her family of multiple cats once grew thanks to an unexpected call from the receptionist at Manchester United's Carrington training ground.

Informed of an abandoned cat, Haroun was reluctant—she already had 23 at the time. However, a recognisable Scottish voice took the phone and ordered her: "You have to take it!"

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