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Picture receiving an invitation to take a seat beside Sir Alex Ferguson in the Manchester United dugout in the middle of a pivotal European match. What would you do?

To photographer the lenswoman, this became a reality on a torrential night in Moscow in 1992. Drenched from the horizontal rain, she was presented with an extraordinary choice: 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 opted for the dugout.

'Take a Seat Next to Us'

After a scoreless first leg in Manchester, the second match in Russia was as unpredictable as the weather. Haroun describes never seeing rain like it. Her equipment was drenched, and her cameras were on the verge of failing.

Spotted by Ferguson in the second half, he asked, "Are you a bit wet?" before instructing her to "Sit between Kiddo and myself." She spent the remainder of the match there, though she would have preferred behind the goal for superior shots.

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

With her flash ready, she thought Ferguson would be annoyed. True to form, the manager looked 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 deep family ties to Manchester United—with relatives having served as directors—Haroun's path as a woman in a overwhelmingly male field was far from easy.

She struggled to be taken seriously and felt she was frequently "singled out" 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.

"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

Being close to the action came with physical risks. Haroun was on one occasion "rendered unconscious" by rocks thrown by supporters at an Aston Villa 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 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 helpful. Before an Arsenal match, she told legend Ian Wright to run towards her if he scored. He did find the net, but initially ran the opposite way.

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

A Cat Named Carrington

Beyond football, Haroun is a known feline enthusiast. Her family of multiple cats on one occasion grew thanks to an surprise call from the receptionist at Manchester United's Carrington training ground.

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

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