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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. How would you react?

For 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 decision: a perfect but soggy shooting position or a spot in the stands flanked by Ferguson and his right-hand man Brian Kidd.

As the pioneering woman photographer to gain Premier League accreditation, unusual situations were par for the course. She opted for the dugout.

'Take a Seat Next to Us'

Following a goalless first leg in Manchester, the return fixture in Russia was just as chaotic as the weather. Haroun recalls never seeing 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, "You must be a bit wet?" before telling her to "Come between Kiddo and myself." She passed the remainder of the match there, though she would have preferred behind the goal for better shots.

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

With her flash ready, she thought Ferguson would be annoyed. 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 long-standing family ties to Manchester United—with family members having served as directors—Haroun's journey as a woman in a male-dominated field was far from easy.

She found it tough to be taken seriously and believed she was frequently "picked on" by security and police as the "easiest target." The discrimination came to a head with an arrest at a fiery 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 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 English club match in Turkey.

The hazard also came from the players themselves. Strikes from legends like Wayne Rooney and Denis Irwin also left her dazed. After one such incident, Bryan Robson allegedly quipped, "Pick a different target, Denis, make sure it's not the chairman's cousin!"

Yet, players could also be accommodating. Before an Arsenal match, she asked iconic striker Ian Wright to run towards her if he scored. He did find the net, but at first ran the wrong way.

To her relief, Wright remembered, stopped, turned back, and ran towards her with a triumphant yell, creating the "ideal picture" she had hoped for.

A Cat Named Carrington

Away from football, Haroun is a dedicated cat lover. Her collection of seven cats on one occasion grew thanks to an unexpected call from a long-serving staff member at Manchester United's Carrington training ground.

Told of an abandoned cat, Haroun was reluctant—she was caring for 23 at the time. But, a familiar gruff voice took the phone and instructed her: "You have to take it!"

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