🔗 Share this article

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

To photographer the lenswoman, this became a reality on a storm-lashed night in Moscow in 1992. Drenched from the horizontal rain, she was faced 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 chose the dugout.

'Come and Sit Between Kiddo and Me'

After a scoreless first leg in Manchester, the second match 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.

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

After another 0-0 draw, United lost on penalties. Defender Gary Pallister, who missed the final kick, was left sobbing into his shirt. Looking towards the dugout, he presented Haroun with a perfect front-page photograph.

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

'My Gender Made Me a Target'

Despite 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 not always easy.

She struggled to be respected and felt she was frequently "singled out" by stewards and police as the "easiest target." The discrimination came to a head with an arrest at a volatile Leeds vs. Manchester United match, where fan 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 physical risks. Haroun was on one occasion "rendered unconscious" by rocks thrown by supporters at an English club match in Turkey.

The hazard also came from the players themselves. Strikes from legends like Wayne Rooney and Denis Irwin also sent her sprawling. After one such incident, Bryan Robson reportedly 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 asked legend Ian Wright to run towards her if he scored. He scored, but initially ran the wrong way.

Fortunately, Wright remembered, stopped, turned back, and ran towards her with a triumphant yell, creating the "ideal picture" she had hoped for.

A Cat Named Carrington

Beyond football, Haroun is a known feline enthusiast. 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 reluctant—she already had 23 at the time. But, a recognisable Scottish voice came on the line and ordered her: "Magi, take the cat!"

Following Sir Alex Ferguson's directive, she took in the cat and christened her Carrington.