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Imagine receiving an invitation to sit beside Sir Alex Ferguson in the United dugout during a pivotal European match. How would you react?

For photographer the lenswoman, this wasn't a hypothetical on a storm-lashed night in Moscow in 1992. Drenched from the horizontal rain, she was presented with an extraordinary choice: a perfect but soggy vantage point or a spot in the stands between 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'

After a goalless first leg in Manchester, the second match in Russia was just as chaotic as the weather. Haroun recalls witnessing rain like it. Her equipment was drenched, and her cameras were on the verge of failing.

Spotted by Ferguson in the second half, he called out, "Are you a bit wet?" before telling her to "Come between Kiddo and myself." She passed the remainder of the match there, though she admitted she'd rather be behind the goal for better shots.

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

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

'My Gender Made Me a Target'

Regardless of her deep family connections to Manchester United—with family members having served as directors—Haroun's path as a woman in a male-dominated field was not always easy.

She found it tough to be taken seriously and felt she was often "singled out" by security and police as the "weakest link." This even led to an arrest at a fiery Leeds vs. Manchester United match, where crowd trouble broke out.

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

Try to Run the Wright Way

Being close to the pitch came with physical risks. Haroun was on one occasion "knocked out" by missiles 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 allegedly joked, "Pick a different target, 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 scored, but initially ran the wrong way.

To her relief, Wright remembered, stopped, turned back, and ran towards her with arms outstretched, allowing for the "ideal picture" she had envisioned.

A Feline Named Carrington

Away from football, Haroun is a known feline enthusiast. Her family of seven cats on one occasion grew thanks to an surprise call from the receptionist at Manchester United's Carrington training ground.

Informed of an stray cat, Haroun was reluctant—she already had 23 at the time. But, a familiar gruff voice came on the line and ordered her: "Magi, take the cat!"

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