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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 presented with an unlikely choice: a perfect but soggy shooting position or a spot in the stands flanked by Ferguson and his right-hand man Brian Kidd.

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

'Take a Seat Next to Us'

After a scoreless first leg in Manchester, the second match in Russia was just as chaotic as the weather. Haroun recalls witnessing rain that severe. Her equipment was soaking, and her cameras were likely to fail of breaking down.

Noticed 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 rest of the match there, even if she would have preferred behind the goal for superior shots.

After another 0-0 draw, United were defeated on penalties. Defender Gary Pallister, who missed the final kick, was seen crying into his shirt. Facing the dugout, he presented Haroun with a perfect back-page image.

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

'I Was Picked On Because I'm a Woman'

Regardless of her deep family connections to Manchester United—with relatives having served as chairmen—Haroun's journey as a woman in a male-dominated field was far from easy.

She found it tough to be respected and believed she was often "singled out" by security and police as the "weakest link." This even led to an arrest at a volatile 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 stated.

Remembering the Wright Way

Proximity to the pitch came with very real risks. Haroun was on one occasion "knocked out" by missiles thrown by supporters at an English club match in Turkey.

The hazard also came from the players themselves. Shots from stars like Wayne Rooney and Denis Irwin also left her dazed. On one such occasion, Bryan Robson reportedly joked, "Pick a different target, Denis, make sure it's not the chairman's cousin!"

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

To her relief, Wright realised, halted, turned back, and charged towards her with arms outstretched, creating the "ideal picture" she had envisioned.

A Feline Named Carrington

Away from football, Haroun is a known cat lover. Her family of multiple cats on one occasion grew thanks to an unexpected call from the receptionist at Manchester United's Carrington training ground.

Informed of an stray cat, Haroun was reluctant—she was caring for 23 at the time. But, a familiar Scottish voice came on the line and instructed her: "Magi, take the cat!"

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