🔗 Share this article

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

For photographer Magi Haroun, this wasn't a hypothetical on a torrential night in Moscow in 1992. Drenched from the sideways rain, she was presented with an extraordinary choice: an ideal 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'

Following a scoreless first leg in Manchester, the return fixture in Russia was as unpredictable as the weather. Haroun describes witnessing 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 telling her to "Come between Kiddo and myself." She spent the rest of the match there, though she would have preferred behind the goal for superior shots.

After a second 0-0 draw, United were defeated on penalties. Defender Gary Pallister, who missed the decisive kick, was left crying into his shirt. Looking towards the dugout, he presented Haroun with a perfect front-page image.

Preparing her flash, she knew Ferguson would be furious. As expected, the manager glared 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—including relatives having served as directors—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 stewards and police as the "easiest target." This came to a head with an incident at a volatile Leeds vs. Manchester United match, where crowd trouble erupted.

"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 pitch came with very real risks. Haroun was on one occasion "knocked out" by rocks thrown by supporters at an English club 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. After one such incident, Bryan Robson reportedly quipped, "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 asked legend Ian Wright to celebrate her if he scored. He did find the net, but at first ran the opposite way.

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

A Cat 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 abandoned cat, Haroun was reluctant—she already had 23 at the time. However, a recognisable gruff voice took the phone and ordered her: "You have to take it!"

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