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

For photographer the lenswoman, this wasn't a hypothetical on a storm-lashed night in Moscow in 1992. Soaked from the sideways rain, she was presented with an unlikely decision: a perfect yet wet vantage point or a dry seat between Ferguson and his assistant Brian Kidd.

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

'Take a Seat Next to Us'

After a goalless first leg in Manchester, the second match in Russia was as unpredictable as the conditions. Haroun describes never seeing rain that severe. Her equipment was drenched, 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 "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 lost on penalties. Centre-back Gary Pallister, who failed to convert the final kick, was left sobbing into his shirt. Looking towards the dugout, he presented Haroun with a potential back-page image.

With her flash ready, 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!"

'I Was Picked On Because I'm a Woman'

Despite her deep family ties to Manchester United—including family members having served as chairmen—Haroun's path as a woman in a overwhelmingly male field was far from easy.

She found it tough to be respected and felt she was frequently "picked on" by security and police as the "weakest link." This came to a head with 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 stated.

Remembering the Wright Way

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

The danger wasn't limited to the players themselves. Strikes from stars like Wayne Rooney and Denis Irwin also sent her sprawling. On one such occasion, 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 accommodating. Before an Arsenal match, she told iconic striker Ian Wright to run towards her if he scored. He did find the net, but initially ran the opposite way.

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

A Cat Named Carrington

Beyond football, Haroun is a dedicated 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 recognisable gruff voice took the phone and instructed her: "You have to take it!"

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