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

To photographer Magi Haroun, 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 flanked by Ferguson and his assistant Brian Kidd.

As the first female photographer to gain Premier League accreditation, unusual situations were all in a day's work. She chose the dugout.

'Take a Seat Next to Us'

Following a scoreless first leg in Manchester, the return fixture in Russia was just as chaotic as the conditions. Haroun describes 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 asked, "You must be a bit wet?" before telling her to "Sit between Kiddo and myself." She spent the remainder 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. Centre-back Gary Pallister, who failed to convert the decisive kick, was seen sobbing into his shirt. Facing the dugout, he presented Haroun with a potential front-page photograph.

Preparing her flash, she thought Ferguson would be furious. True to form, the manager looked at her and declared, "If you take that picture, I'll never speak to you again!"

'My Gender Made Me a Target'

Despite her deep family connections to Manchester United—including family members having served as directors—Haroun's journey as a woman in a overwhelmingly male field was not always easy.

She found it tough to be respected and felt she was frequently "picked on" by stewards and police as the "easiest target." This came to a head with an incident at a fiery 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

Proximity to the pitch came with very real risks. Haroun was on one occasion "rendered unconscious" by missiles 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 at times left her dazed. After one such incident, Bryan Robson reportedly joked, "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 iconic striker Ian Wright to run towards her if he scored. He scored, but initially ran the opposite way.

Fortunately, Wright remembered, halted, turned back, and charged towards her with a triumphant yell, creating the "perfect picture" she had hoped for.

A Cat Named Carrington

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

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

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