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

For photographer the lenswoman, this became a reality on a storm-lashed night in Moscow in 1992. Drenched from the horizontal rain, she was presented with an extraordinary choice: a perfect yet wet shooting position or a dry seat between Ferguson and his assistant Brian Kidd.

As the pioneering woman photographer to gain Premier League accreditation, unusual situations were all in a day's work. She opted for the dugout.

'Take a Seat Next to Us'

Following a scoreless first leg in Manchester, the return fixture in Russia was just as chaotic as the conditions. Haroun describes witnessing rain that severe. Her equipment was soaking, and her cameras were on the verge of breaking down.

Noticed by Ferguson in the second half, he called out, "Are you a bit wet?" before instructing 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. Centre-back Gary Pallister, who missed the final kick, was left crying into his shirt. Looking towards the dugout, he presented Haroun with a potential front-page photograph.

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

'My Gender Made Me a Target'

Despite her long-standing family connections to Manchester United—with family members having served as chairmen—Haroun's journey as a woman in a overwhelmingly male field was far from easy.

She struggled to be respected and believed she was frequently "picked on" by security and police as the "weakest link." This even led to an incident at a fiery Leeds vs. Manchester United match, where crowd trouble broke out.

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

Try to Run the Wright Way

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

The danger also came from the players themselves. Strikes from legends like Wayne Rooney and Denis Irwin also sent her sprawling. On one such occasion, Bryan Robson allegedly quipped, "Pick a different target, Denis, make sure it's not the chairman's cousin!"

However, players could also be accommodating. Before an Arsenal match, she asked iconic striker Ian Wright to celebrate her if he scored. He scored, but at first ran the opposite way.

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

A Cat Named Carrington

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

Told of an stray cat, Haroun was reluctant—she was caring for 23 at the time. However, a familiar Scottish voice came on the line and instructed her: "You have to take it!"

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