🔗 Share this article

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

For photographer the lenswoman, this wasn't a hypothetical on a storm-lashed night in Moscow in 1992. Soaked from the horizontal rain, she was faced with an unlikely choice: a perfect yet wet vantage point or a dry seat flanked by Ferguson and his right-hand man Brian Kidd.

As the first female photographer to gain Premier League accreditation, remarkable situations were par for the course. She chose the dugout.

'Take a Seat Next to Us'

After a scoreless first leg in Manchester, the return fixture in Russia was as unpredictable as the conditions. Haroun recalls never seeing rain like it. Her equipment was soaking, and her cameras were likely to fail of breaking down.

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

After another 0-0 draw, United were defeated on penalties. Centre-back Gary Pallister, who failed to convert the decisive kick, was left crying into his shirt. Facing the dugout, he presented Haroun with a perfect front-page image.

Preparing her flash, 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 long-standing family ties to Manchester United—with relatives having served as chairmen—Haroun's path as a woman in a overwhelmingly male field was not always easy.

She struggled to be taken seriously and felt she was often "singled out" by security 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 broke out.

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

Remembering the Wright Way

Being close 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 also came from the players themselves. Shots from legends like Wayne Rooney and Denis Irwin also sent her sprawling. On one such occasion, Bryan Robson allegedly joked, "If you're going to kill a photographer, Denis, make sure it's not the chairman's cousin!"

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

To her relief, Wright remembered, stopped, turned back, and charged towards her with a triumphant yell, creating the "perfect picture" she had envisioned.

A Feline Named Carrington

Beyond football, Haroun is a dedicated feline enthusiast. Her family of multiple cats on one occasion grew thanks to an surprise call from the receptionist 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 gruff voice came on the line and ordered her: "Magi, take the cat!"

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