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

To photographer Magi Haroun, this became a reality on a storm-lashed night in Moscow in 1992. Drenched from the horizontal rain, she was faced with an extraordinary decision: an ideal 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 top-division accreditation, remarkable situations were all in a day's work. She chose the dugout.

'Come and Sit Between Kiddo and Me'

After a goalless first leg in Manchester, the second match in Russia was as unpredictable as the weather. Haroun describes witnessing rain like it. Her equipment was drenched, and her cameras were likely to fail of failing.

Noticed by Ferguson in the second half, he asked, "You must be a bit wet?" before instructing her to "Come between Kiddo and myself." She spent the rest of the match there, even if 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 missed the decisive kick, was left crying into his shirt. Looking towards the dugout, he presented Haroun with a potential back-page photograph.

With her flash ready, she knew Ferguson would be furious. As expected, the manager glared at her and declared, "If you take that picture, I'll never speak to you again!"

'My Gender Made Me a Target'

Despite her long-standing family ties to Manchester United—with family members having served as directors—Haroun's path as a woman in a male-dominated field was far from easy.

She struggled to be respected and believed she was often "picked on" by security and police as the "weakest link." The discrimination even led to an arrest at a volatile 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

Proximity to the pitch came with physical risks. Haroun was once "knocked out" by rocks thrown by supporters at an English club match in Turkey.

The hazard wasn't limited to the players themselves. Shots from legends like Wayne Rooney and Denis Irwin also sent her sprawling. After one such incident, Bryan Robson reportedly quipped, "Pick a different target, 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.

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

A Feline Named Carrington

Beyond football, Haroun is a dedicated feline enthusiast. Her family of multiple 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 hesitant—she already had 23 at the time. But, a familiar Scottish voice came on the line and ordered her: "Magi, take the cat!"

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