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Picture being invited to sit next to Sir Alex Ferguson in the United dugout during a crucial European match. What would you do?

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

As the first female photographer to gain top-division accreditation, remarkable situations were par for the course. She chose the dugout.

'Come and Sit Between Kiddo and Me'

Following a goalless first leg in Manchester, the return fixture in Russia was just as chaotic as the weather. Haroun describes never seeing rain like it. 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 "Come between Kiddo and myself." She passed the remainder of the match there, even if she would have preferred behind the goal for superior shots.

After a second 0-0 draw, United lost on penalties. Defender Gary Pallister, who missed the decisive kick, was seen sobbing into his shirt. Looking towards the dugout, he presented Haroun with a potential back-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 deep family connections to Manchester United—including family members having served as chairmen—Haroun's path as a woman in a overwhelmingly male field was not always easy.

She struggled to be respected and believed she was frequently "singled out" by stewards and police as the "weakest link." The discrimination came to a head with an incident at a volatile Leeds vs. Manchester United match, where fan trouble broke out.

"It was me that got arrested because they saw me as the weakest link, I'm a woman," she stated.

Remembering the Wright Way

Being close to the action came with very real risks. Haroun was on one occasion "rendered unconscious" by rocks thrown by supporters at an English club match in Turkey.

The danger wasn't limited to the players themselves. Shots from stars like Wayne Rooney and Denis Irwin at times left her dazed. After one such incident, Bryan Robson allegedly quipped, "If you're going to kill a photographer, Denis, make sure it's not the chairman's cousin!"

However, players could also be accommodating. Prior to an Arsenal match, she asked iconic striker Ian Wright to celebrate her if he scored. He did find the net, but initially ran the opposite way.

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

A Feline Named Carrington

Away from football, Haroun is a known cat lover. Her family of seven cats on one occasion grew thanks to an surprise call from a long-serving staff member at Manchester United's Carrington training ground.

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

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