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Imagine receiving an invitation to sit next to Sir Alex Ferguson in the Manchester 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 horizontal rain, she was faced with an extraordinary 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, unusual situations were par for the course. She opted for the dugout.

'Come and Sit Between Kiddo and Me'

After a scoreless first leg in Manchester, the return fixture in Russia was as unpredictable as the weather. Haroun recalls never seeing rain that severe. Her equipment was soaking, and her cameras were likely to fail of failing.

Spotted 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, 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 seen sobbing into his shirt. Looking towards the dugout, he presented Haroun with a potential back-page image.

Preparing her flash, she thought Ferguson would be furious. True to form, the manager glared 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 ties to Manchester United—including family members having served as chairmen—Haroun's path as a woman in a overwhelmingly male field was far from easy.

She found it tough to be taken seriously and believed she was often "picked on" by stewards and police as the "easiest target." The discrimination came to a head with an incident at a fiery 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 Aston Villa match in Turkey.

The danger also came from the players themselves. Shots from stars 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 accommodating. Before an Arsenal match, she asked legend Ian Wright to run towards her if he scored. He did find the net, but at first ran the opposite way.

To her relief, Wright remembered, stopped, turned back, and ran towards her with a triumphant yell, creating the "ideal picture" she had hoped for.

A Feline Named Carrington

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

Told of an stray cat, Haroun was hesitant—she was caring for 23 at the time. However, a recognisable gruff voice came on the line and instructed her: "You have to take it!"

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