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

For photographer Magi Haroun, this became a reality on a torrential night in Moscow in 1992. Drenched from the horizontal rain, she was faced with an unlikely choice: an ideal yet wet vantage point or a dry seat flanked by Ferguson and his assistant Brian Kidd.

As the first female photographer to gain Premier League accreditation, remarkable situations were all in a day's work. 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 describes witnessing rain like it. 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 "Sit between Kiddo and myself." She passed the rest of the match there, even if she admitted she'd rather be behind the goal for superior shots.

After another 0-0 draw, United were defeated on penalties. Centre-back Gary Pallister, who missed the decisive kick, was seen sobbing into his shirt. Facing the dugout, he presented Haroun with a perfect back-page image.

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

'My Gender Made Me a Target'

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

She struggled to be respected and felt she was frequently "picked on" by security and police as the "easiest target." 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 said.

Remembering the Wright Way

Being close to the pitch 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 hazard wasn't limited to the players themselves. Strikes from legends like Wayne Rooney and Denis Irwin at times left her dazed. After one such incident, Bryan Robson reportedly joked, "If you're going to kill a photographer, Denis, make sure it's not the chairman's cousin!"

Yet, players could also be accommodating. Prior to an Arsenal match, she told iconic striker Ian Wright to celebrate her if he scored. He scored, but at first ran the opposite way.

To her relief, Wright remembered, halted, 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 feline enthusiast. Her family of seven 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. But, a recognisable Scottish voice came on the line and ordered her: "You have to take it!"

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