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Imagine being invited to take a seat next to Sir Alex Ferguson in the Manchester United dugout in the middle of a pivotal 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 unlikely choice: a perfect yet wet vantage point or a spot in the stands flanked by Ferguson and his right-hand man Brian Kidd.

As the first female photographer to gain Premier League 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 return fixture in Russia was just as chaotic as the conditions. Haroun describes never seeing rain that severe. Her equipment was drenched, and her cameras were on the verge of breaking down.

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

After a second 0-0 draw, United lost on penalties. Defender Gary Pallister, who missed the decisive kick, was left sobbing into his shirt. Facing the dugout, he presented Haroun with a potential front-page photograph.

Preparing her flash, 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!"

'My Gender Made Me a Target'

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

She found it tough to be respected and felt she was often "picked on" by stewards and police as the "weakest link." The discrimination even led to an incident at a fiery Leeds vs. Manchester United match, where crowd trouble erupted.

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

Remembering the Wright Way

Proximity 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 wasn't limited to the players themselves. Strikes from stars like Wayne Rooney and Denis Irwin also sent her sprawling. On one such occasion, Bryan Robson reportedly joked, "If you're going to kill a photographer, Denis, make sure it's not the chairman's cousin!"

However, players could also be accommodating. Prior to an Arsenal match, she asked legend Ian Wright to run towards her if he scored. He scored, but at first ran the opposite way.

Fortunately, Wright realised, halted, turned back, and charged towards her with a triumphant yell, allowing for the "ideal picture" she had envisioned.

A Feline Named Carrington

Away from 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 reluctant—she already had 23 at the time. But, a recognisable Scottish voice took the phone and instructed her: "Magi, take the cat!"

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