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Imagine receiving an invitation to take a seat beside Sir Alex Ferguson in the Manchester United dugout during a crucial European match. What would you do?

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 dry seat 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 chose 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 conditions. Haroun describes never seeing rain that severe. Her equipment was drenched, and her cameras were on the verge of failing.

Noticed by Ferguson in the second half, he called out, "Are you a bit wet?" before instructing her to "Come between Kiddo and myself." She passed the rest of the match there, even if she would have preferred behind the goal for better shots.

After a second 0-0 draw, United were defeated on penalties. Centre-back Gary Pallister, who failed to convert the final kick, was seen crying into his shirt. Looking towards the dugout, he presented Haroun with a perfect back-page image.

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

'My Gender Made Me a Target'

Despite her long-standing family connections to Manchester United—including relatives having served as chairmen—Haroun's path as a woman in a overwhelmingly male field was far from easy.

She struggled to be taken seriously and believed she was frequently "picked on" by security and police as the "easiest target." This even led to an arrest at a volatile Leeds vs. Manchester United match, where fan trouble broke out.

"I was the one that got arrested because they saw me as the weakest link, I'm a woman," she stated.

Remembering the Wright Way

Proximity to the action came with physical risks. Haroun was once "knocked out" by rocks thrown by supporters at an English club match in Turkey.

The hazard also came from the players themselves. Strikes from legends like Wayne Rooney and Denis Irwin at times left her dazed. On one such occasion, Bryan Robson allegedly 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. Before an Arsenal match, she asked legend Ian Wright to celebrate her if he scored. He did find the net, but at first ran the opposite way.

Fortunately, Wright realised, stopped, turned back, and charged towards her with a triumphant yell, allowing for the "ideal picture" she had hoped for.

A Feline Named Carrington

Beyond football, Haroun is a known cat lover. Her family of seven cats on one occasion grew thanks to an unexpected call from the receptionist at Manchester United's Carrington training ground.

Informed of an stray cat, Haroun was hesitant—she was caring for 23 at the time. However, a familiar Scottish voice took the phone and instructed her: "Magi, take the cat!"

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