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Imagine being invited to sit next to Sir Alex Ferguson in the United dugout in the middle of a crucial European match. How would you react?

To photographer Magi Haroun, this wasn't a hypothetical on a storm-lashed night in Moscow in 1992. Drenched from the horizontal rain, she was faced with an unlikely choice: a perfect but soggy vantage point or a dry seat between Ferguson and his right-hand man Brian Kidd.

As the first female 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'

Following a goalless first leg in Manchester, the second match in Russia was just as chaotic as the conditions. Haroun describes witnessing rain that severe. Her equipment was soaking, and her cameras were likely to fail of failing.

Noticed 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 rest 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 failed to convert the final kick, was seen sobbing into his shirt. Looking towards the dugout, he presented Haroun with a perfect front-page photograph.

With her flash ready, she thought Ferguson would be furious. True to form, the manager glared 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 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 not always easy.

She struggled to be taken seriously and felt 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 fan trouble broke out.

"I was the one that got arrested because I'm the weakest link, I'm a woman," she said.

Remembering the Wright Way

Proximity to the action came with very real risks. Haroun was once "knocked out" by missiles thrown by supporters at an Aston Villa match in Turkey.

The danger also came from the players themselves. Strikes from stars like Wayne Rooney and Denis Irwin also sent her sprawling. 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. Prior to an Arsenal match, she asked iconic striker Ian Wright to run towards her if he scored. He scored, but initially ran the opposite way.

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

A Cat Named Carrington

Away from football, Haroun is a dedicated feline enthusiast. Her collection of seven cats once grew thanks to an surprise call from the receptionist at Manchester United's Carrington training ground.

Informed of an abandoned cat, Haroun was hesitant—she already had 23 at the time. But, a recognisable Scottish voice came on the line and ordered her: "You have to take it!"

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