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Picture being invited to take a seat beside Sir Alex Ferguson in the United dugout during a pivotal European match. How would you react?

To photographer Magi Haroun, this wasn't a hypothetical on a storm-lashed night in Moscow in 1992. Soaked from the sideways rain, she was faced with an unlikely choice: an ideal yet wet shooting position or a spot in the stands flanked by Ferguson and his right-hand man Brian Kidd.

As the first female 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 just as chaotic as the weather. Haroun recalls never seeing rain like it. Her equipment was drenched, and her cameras were on the verge of breaking down.

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

After another 0-0 draw, United lost on penalties. Defender Gary Pallister, who failed to convert the final kick, was left sobbing into his shirt. Facing the dugout, he presented Haroun with a perfect back-page photograph.

Preparing her flash, 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'

Despite her deep family connections to Manchester United—with family members having served as directors—Haroun's journey as a woman in a overwhelmingly male field was far from easy.

She found it tough to be respected and felt she was often "singled out" by stewards and police as the "weakest link." The discrimination even led to an arrest at a volatile Leeds vs. Manchester United match, where crowd trouble broke out.

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

Remembering the Wright Way

Proximity to the pitch came with physical risks. Haroun was on one occasion "knocked out" by rocks thrown by supporters at an English club match in Turkey.

The danger also came from the players themselves. Strikes from legends like Wayne Rooney and Denis Irwin also sent her sprawling. After one such incident, Bryan Robson reportedly quipped, "Pick a different target, Denis, make sure it's not the chairman's cousin!"

Yet, players could also be accommodating. Before an Arsenal match, she told iconic striker Ian Wright to celebrate her if he scored. He did find the net, but initially ran the wrong way.

To her relief, Wright remembered, halted, turned back, and charged towards her with arms outstretched, allowing for the "ideal picture" she had hoped for.

A Cat Named Carrington

Away from football, Haroun is a known cat lover. Her collection 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 reluctant—she was caring for 23 at the time. But, a recognisable gruff voice came on the line and ordered her: "You have to take it!"

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