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Imagine being invited to take a seat beside Sir Alex Ferguson in the United dugout in the middle of a crucial European match. What would you do?

For photographer the lenswoman, this became a reality on a torrential night in Moscow in 1992. Soaked from the sideways rain, she was presented with an extraordinary decision: a perfect but soggy shooting position or a dry seat flanked by Ferguson and his right-hand man Brian Kidd.

As the first female photographer to gain Premier League 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 return fixture in Russia was as unpredictable as the conditions. Haroun recalls witnessing rain that severe. Her equipment was soaking, and her cameras were likely to fail of failing.

Spotted by Ferguson in the second half, he asked, "You must be a bit wet?" before instructing her to "Sit between Kiddo and myself." She spent the remainder 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. Centre-back Gary Pallister, who missed the final kick, was seen sobbing into his shirt. Facing the dugout, he presented Haroun with a perfect front-page image.

Preparing her flash, she knew Ferguson would be furious. True to form, the manager glared 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'

Despite her deep family ties to Manchester United—including family members having served as directors—Haroun's journey as a woman in a male-dominated field was far from easy.

She found it tough to be respected and believed she was often "singled out" by security and police as the "weakest link." The discrimination even led to 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 said.

Remembering the Wright Way

Being close to the action came with physical risks. Haroun was once "knocked out" by rocks thrown by supporters at an Aston Villa match in Turkey.

The danger wasn't limited to the players themselves. Shots from stars like Wayne Rooney and Denis Irwin also sent her sprawling. 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!"

However, 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 opposite way.

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

A Feline Named Carrington

Beyond football, Haroun is a known cat lover. Her collection of multiple cats on one occasion grew thanks to an unexpected call from the receptionist at Manchester United's Carrington training ground.

Told of an abandoned cat, Haroun was hesitant—she was caring for 23 at the time. However, 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.