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Picture receiving an invitation to take a seat beside Sir Alex Ferguson in the Manchester United dugout in the middle of a pivotal European match. What would you do?

To photographer Magi Haroun, this wasn't a hypothetical on a storm-lashed night in Moscow in 1992. Soaked from the horizontal rain, she was presented with an extraordinary decision: an ideal yet wet shooting position or a spot in the stands flanked by Ferguson and his assistant Brian Kidd.

As the first female photographer to gain top-division accreditation, remarkable situations were par for the course. She chose the dugout.

'Come and Sit Between Kiddo and Me'

Following a scoreless first leg in Manchester, the return fixture in Russia was just as chaotic as the conditions. Haroun recalls witnessing rain that severe. 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 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 final kick, was seen 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 annoyed. As expected, 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 ties to Manchester United—including relatives having served as chairmen—Haroun's path as a woman in a male-dominated field was far from easy.

She struggled to be respected and felt she was often "singled out" by security and police as the "easiest target." This came to a head with 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.

Remembering the Wright Way

Being close to the pitch came with very real risks. Haroun was on one occasion "knocked out" by missiles thrown by supporters at an Aston Villa match in Turkey.

The danger wasn't limited to the players themselves. Strikes from legends like Wayne Rooney and Denis Irwin also left her dazed. After one such incident, Bryan Robson reportedly joked, "If you're going to kill a photographer, Denis, make sure it's not the chairman's cousin!"

Yet, players could also be accommodating. Before an Arsenal match, she told legend Ian Wright to run towards her if he scored. He did find the net, but at first ran the opposite way.

Fortunately, Wright remembered, halted, turned back, and ran towards her with arms outstretched, creating the "perfect picture" she had hoped for.

A Cat Named Carrington

Beyond football, Haroun is a known feline enthusiast. Her collection 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 hesitant—she already had 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 command, she adopted the cat and christened her Carrington.