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Picture being invited to take a seat beside Sir Alex Ferguson in the Manchester United dugout during a crucial European match. How would you react?

To photographer the lenswoman, this wasn't a hypothetical on a torrential night in Moscow in 1992. Drenched from the sideways rain, she was faced with an extraordinary choice: an ideal yet wet vantage point or a spot in the stands flanked by Ferguson and his right-hand man Brian Kidd.

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

'Come and Sit Between Kiddo and Me'

Following a scoreless first leg in Manchester, the second match in Russia was just as chaotic as the conditions. Haroun recalls witnessing rain that severe. Her equipment was soaking, and her cameras were likely to fail of breaking down.

Spotted by Ferguson in the second half, he asked, "You must be a bit wet?" before telling her to "Sit between Kiddo and myself." She spent 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 lost on penalties. Defender Gary Pallister, who failed to convert the final kick, was left crying into his shirt. Facing the dugout, he presented Haroun with a perfect back-page image.

With her flash ready, she knew Ferguson would be annoyed. True to form, the manager looked at her and warned, "Do that, I'll never speak to you again!"

'My Gender Made Me a Target'

Despite her deep family ties to Manchester United—with relatives having served as directors—Haroun's path as a woman in a overwhelmingly male field was not always easy.

She found it tough to be taken seriously and felt she was often "picked on" by security and police as the "easiest target." This even led to an arrest at a fiery 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 stated.

Remembering the Wright Way

Proximity to the action came with very real risks. Haroun was once "rendered unconscious" by rocks thrown by supporters at an Aston Villa match in Turkey.

The hazard also came from the players themselves. Strikes from stars like Wayne Rooney and Denis Irwin at times left her dazed. On one such occasion, 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 helpful. Prior to an Arsenal match, she told iconic striker Ian Wright to run towards her if he scored. He did find the net, but at first ran the opposite way.

Fortunately, Wright remembered, stopped, turned back, and charged towards her with arms outstretched, allowing for the "perfect picture" she had envisioned.

A Feline Named Carrington

Beyond football, Haroun is a dedicated cat lover. Her collection of multiple cats on one occasion grew thanks to an unexpected 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 recognisable gruff voice took the phone and instructed her: "You have to take it!"

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