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Picture receiving an invitation to sit beside Sir Alex Ferguson in the United dugout during a crucial European match. How would you react?

For photographer the lenswoman, this wasn't a hypothetical on a storm-lashed night in Moscow in 1992. Drenched from the sideways rain, she was presented with an unlikely decision: 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 Premier League accreditation, remarkable situations were par for the course. She chose the dugout.

'Come and Sit Between Kiddo and Me'

After a scoreless first leg in Manchester, the return fixture in Russia was as unpredictable 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 asked, "You must be a bit wet?" before instructing her to "Come between Kiddo and myself." She passed the remainder of the match there, though she would have preferred behind the goal for better shots.

After another 0-0 draw, United were defeated on penalties. Defender Gary Pallister, who missed the final kick, was seen sobbing into his shirt. Facing the dugout, he presented Haroun with a potential back-page photograph.

With her flash ready, she thought Ferguson would be furious. 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'

Regardless of her deep family connections to Manchester United—including family members having served as directors—Haroun's journey 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 "singled out" by security and police as the "weakest link." This came to a head with an incident 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 said.

Remembering the Wright Way

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

The danger also came from the players themselves. Strikes from stars like Wayne Rooney and Denis Irwin also left her dazed. After one such incident, Bryan Robson reportedly 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. Before an Arsenal match, she told legend Ian Wright to run towards her if he scored. He scored, but initially ran the opposite way.

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

A Feline Named Carrington

Beyond football, Haroun is a dedicated cat lover. Her collection of seven cats once 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 hesitant—she already had 23 at the time. But, a recognisable Scottish voice came on the line and instructed her: "You have to take it!"

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