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Imagine receiving an invitation to take a seat next to Sir Alex Ferguson in the Manchester United dugout during a pivotal European match. What would you do?

To photographer Magi Haroun, this became a reality on a torrential night in Moscow in 1992. Drenched from the sideways rain, she was presented with an extraordinary decision: an ideal yet wet shooting position or a dry seat between Ferguson and his assistant Brian Kidd.

As the first female photographer to gain top-division accreditation, remarkable 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 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 breaking down.

Spotted by Ferguson in the second half, he asked, "You must be a bit wet?" before instructing her to "Come between Kiddo and myself." She passed the rest of the match there, though she admitted she'd rather be behind the goal for superior shots.

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

With her flash ready, she thought Ferguson would be furious. 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'

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

She found it tough to be taken seriously and believed she was often "singled out" by security and police as the "easiest target." The discrimination came to a head with an incident 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.

Try to Run 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 also came from the players themselves. Strikes from legends like Wayne Rooney and Denis Irwin at times left her dazed. After one such incident, Bryan Robson allegedly joked, "Pick a different target, Denis, make sure it's not the chairman's cousin!"

However, players could also be accommodating. Before an Arsenal match, she told iconic striker Ian Wright to celebrate her if he scored. He scored, but at first ran the opposite way.

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

A Feline Named Carrington

Beyond football, Haroun is a dedicated cat lover. Her collection of seven cats once grew thanks to an surprise 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 ordered her: "You have to take it!"

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