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Imagine receiving an invitation to sit next to 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. Drenched from the horizontal rain, she was presented with an extraordinary decision: a perfect but soggy vantage point 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 opted for 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 weather. Haroun describes never seeing rain that severe. Her equipment was soaking, and her cameras were likely to fail of failing.

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

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

With her flash ready, she knew Ferguson would be annoyed. As expected, the manager glared at her and declared, "Do that, I'll never speak to you again!"

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

Despite her deep family connections to Manchester United—including family members having served as directors—Haroun's journey as a woman in a overwhelmingly male field was not always easy.

She struggled to be respected and believed she was often "singled out" by security and police as the "easiest target." This came to a head with an incident at a fiery Leeds vs. Manchester United match, where crowd trouble erupted.

"I was the one 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 once "knocked out" by missiles thrown by supporters at an Aston Villa match in Turkey.

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

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

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

A Cat Named Carrington

Away from football, Haroun is a known cat lover. Her collection of seven cats once grew thanks to an unexpected call from the receptionist at Manchester United's Carrington training ground.

Told of an stray cat, Haroun was hesitant—she already had 23 at the time. However, a familiar Scottish voice took the phone and instructed her: "You have to take it!"

Following Sir Alex Ferguson's command, she adopted the cat and named her Carrington.