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Imagine receiving an invitation to take a seat beside Sir Alex Ferguson in the Manchester United dugout in the middle of a pivotal European match. How would you react?

To photographer the lenswoman, this became a reality on a storm-lashed night in Moscow in 1992. Drenched from the sideways rain, she was faced with an unlikely decision: an ideal but soggy shooting position or a spot in the stands flanked by Ferguson and his assistant Brian Kidd.

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

'Come and Sit Between Kiddo and Me'

After a goalless first leg in Manchester, the second match in Russia was as unpredictable as the weather. Haroun describes witnessing rain that severe. Her equipment was drenched, and her cameras were likely to fail of breaking down.

Noticed by Ferguson in the second half, he called out, "You must be a bit wet?" before instructing her to "Come between Kiddo and myself." She spent the remainder of the match there, though she admitted she'd rather be behind the goal for superior shots.

After a second 0-0 draw, United lost on penalties. Defender Gary Pallister, who missed the final kick, was left crying 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 looked 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 long-standing family connections to Manchester United—including relatives 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 felt she was frequently "picked on" by security and police as the "weakest link." The discrimination even led to an arrest at a volatile Leeds vs. Manchester United match, where fan trouble erupted.

"It was me that got arrested because I'm 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 "knocked out" by missiles 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 also left her dazed. 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. Prior to an Arsenal match, she asked iconic striker Ian Wright to celebrate her if he scored. He scored, but at first ran the wrong way.

Fortunately, Wright realised, halted, turned back, and ran towards her with a triumphant yell, allowing for the "perfect picture" she had hoped for.

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.

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

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