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Imagine being invited to take a seat beside Sir Alex Ferguson in the United dugout in the middle of a crucial European match. What would you do?

For photographer Magi Haroun, this wasn't a hypothetical on a torrential night in Moscow in 1992. Drenched from the sideways rain, she was faced with an unlikely choice: a perfect but soggy vantage point or a dry seat between Ferguson and his assistant Brian Kidd.

As the first female photographer to gain top-division accreditation, unusual situations were all in a day's work. She chose the dugout.

'Take a Seat Next to Us'

After a goalless first leg in Manchester, the second match in Russia was just as chaotic as the weather. Haroun describes never seeing rain like it. Her equipment was soaking, and her cameras were likely to fail of breaking down.

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

After a second 0-0 draw, United lost on penalties. Centre-back Gary Pallister, who failed to convert the decisive kick, was left sobbing into his shirt. Looking towards the dugout, he presented Haroun with a perfect back-page image.

Preparing her flash, she knew Ferguson would be furious. As expected, the manager looked at her and declared, "Do that, I'll never speak to you again!"

'My Gender Made Me a Target'

Despite her long-standing family connections to Manchester United—with family members having served as chairmen—Haroun's journey as a woman in a overwhelmingly male field was not always easy.

She found it tough to be respected and believed she was frequently "singled out" by stewards and police as the "weakest link." The discrimination came to a head with an arrest at a fiery Leeds vs. Manchester United match, where fan trouble erupted.

"It was me that got arrested because I'm the weakest link, I'm a woman," she stated.

Try to Run the Wright Way

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

The danger wasn't limited to the players themselves. Strikes from legends like Wayne Rooney and Denis Irwin also left her dazed. After one such incident, Bryan Robson allegedly joked, "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 initially ran the wrong way.

To her relief, Wright realised, halted, turned back, and ran towards her with a triumphant yell, creating the "ideal picture" she had envisioned.

A Cat Named Carrington

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

Informed of an stray cat, Haroun was hesitant—she already had 23 at the time. But, a familiar 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 named her Carrington.