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Imagine receiving an invitation to sit next to Sir Alex Ferguson in the Manchester United dugout in the middle of a pivotal European match. What would you do?

For photographer Magi Haroun, this wasn't a hypothetical on a storm-lashed night in Moscow in 1992. Soaked from the horizontal rain, she was presented with an extraordinary decision: an ideal yet wet shooting position or a dry seat flanked by Ferguson and his right-hand man Brian Kidd.

As the pioneering woman photographer to gain top-division accreditation, remarkable situations were par for the course. She chose the dugout.

'Take a Seat Next to Us'

Following a goalless first leg in Manchester, the second match in Russia was as unpredictable as the weather. Haroun describes witnessing rain like it. Her equipment was soaking, and her cameras were likely to fail of breaking down.

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

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

Preparing her flash, 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!"

'My Gender Made Me a Target'

Regardless of her deep family ties to Manchester United—with relatives having served as chairmen—Haroun's path as a woman in a male-dominated field was not always easy.

She struggled to be taken seriously and felt she was frequently "picked on" by stewards and police as the "weakest link." The discrimination came to a head with an arrest at a volatile Leeds vs. Manchester United match, where crowd trouble erupted.

"It was me that got arrested because I'm the weakest link, I'm a woman," she stated.

Remembering the Wright Way

Proximity to the pitch came with physical risks. Haroun was once "rendered unconscious" by missiles thrown by supporters at an English club match in Turkey.

The hazard wasn't limited to the players themselves. Shots from stars like Wayne Rooney and Denis Irwin at times left her dazed. 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 helpful. Before an Arsenal match, she asked iconic striker Ian Wright to run towards her if he scored. He scored, but initially ran the wrong way.

To her relief, Wright realised, stopped, turned back, and charged towards her with arms outstretched, creating the "perfect picture" she had envisioned.

A Feline Named Carrington

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

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

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