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Picture receiving an invitation to sit beside Sir Alex Ferguson in the United dugout during a pivotal European match. How would you react?

To photographer the lenswoman, this wasn't a hypothetical on a storm-lashed night in Moscow in 1992. Drenched from the sideways rain, she was presented with an extraordinary decision: a perfect but soggy shooting position or a dry seat flanked by Ferguson and his right-hand man Brian Kidd.

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

'Come and Sit Between Kiddo and Me'

After a goalless first leg in Manchester, the second match in Russia was as unpredictable as the conditions. Haroun recalls never seeing rain like it. Her equipment was soaking, and her cameras were likely to fail of failing.

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

After another 0-0 draw, United lost on penalties. Defender Gary Pallister, who missed the decisive kick, was seen crying into his shirt. Looking towards the dugout, he presented Haroun with a perfect front-page image.

Preparing her flash, she thought Ferguson would be furious. True to form, the manager looked at her and declared, "Do that, 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—including relatives having served as directors—Haroun's path as a woman in a overwhelmingly male field was not always easy.

She struggled to be respected and felt she was often "picked on" by stewards and police as the "weakest link." This came to a head with an arrest at a fiery 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.

Try to Run the Wright Way

Being close 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 also sent her sprawling. On one such occasion, Bryan Robson allegedly quipped, "Pick a different target, Denis, make sure it's not the chairman's cousin!"

Yet, players could also be accommodating. Prior to an Arsenal match, she told legend 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 ran towards her with arms outstretched, creating the "perfect picture" she had hoped for.

A Feline 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 stray cat, Haroun was hesitant—she already had 23 at the time. But, a familiar gruff voice came on the line and ordered her: "Magi, take the cat!"

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