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

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: a perfect but soggy shooting position or a dry seat flanked by Ferguson and his assistant Brian Kidd.

As the pioneering woman photographer to gain Premier League accreditation, unusual 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 return fixture in Russia was just as chaotic as the conditions. Haroun describes never seeing rain like it. Her equipment was drenched, and her cameras were likely to fail of failing.

Noticed by Ferguson in the second half, he called out, "Are you a bit wet?" before instructing 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. Centre-back Gary Pallister, who failed to convert the decisive kick, was left sobbing into his shirt. Facing the dugout, he presented Haroun with a potential front-page photograph.

With her flash ready, she knew Ferguson would be furious. As expected, the manager looked at her and warned, "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 connections to Manchester United—with family members having served as chairmen—Haroun's journey as a woman in a overwhelmingly male field was not always easy.

She found it tough to be taken seriously and believed she was often "picked on" 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 broke out.

"I was the one that got arrested because I'm the weakest link, I'm a woman," she stated.

Try to Run the Wright Way

Being close to the pitch came with physical risks. Haroun was once "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 stars like Wayne Rooney and Denis Irwin at times left her dazed. After one such incident, 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 accommodating. Before an Arsenal match, she told legend Ian Wright to celebrate her if he scored. He did find the net, but initially ran the wrong way.

Fortunately, Wright remembered, stopped, turned back, and ran towards her with arms outstretched, allowing for the "ideal picture" she had hoped for.

A Cat Named Carrington

Away from football, Haroun is a known feline enthusiast. Her family of multiple cats once grew thanks to an unexpected call from a long-serving staff member at Manchester United's Carrington training ground.

Told of an abandoned 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!"

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