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

For photographer the lenswoman, this became a reality on a storm-lashed night in Moscow in 1992. Soaked from the horizontal rain, she was faced with an extraordinary choice: a perfect but soggy vantage point or a spot in the stands flanked by 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.

'Come and Sit Between Kiddo and Me'

After a scoreless first leg in Manchester, the second match in Russia was just as chaotic as the weather. Haroun recalls witnessing rain that severe. Her equipment was soaking, 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 "Sit between Kiddo and myself." She spent 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. Centre-back Gary Pallister, who failed to convert the decisive kick, was left sobbing into his shirt. Looking towards the dugout, he presented Haroun with a perfect back-page photograph.

Preparing her flash, she thought Ferguson would be furious. True to form, the manager looked at her and declared, "Do that, I'll never speak to you again!"

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

Despite her deep family connections to Manchester United—with relatives having served as directors—Haroun's path as a woman in a overwhelmingly male field was far from easy.

She found it tough to be taken seriously and felt she was frequently "singled out" by stewards and police as the "weakest link." This even led to an arrest at a fiery Leeds vs. Manchester United match, where fan trouble erupted.

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

Try to Run the Wright Way

Proximity to the pitch came with very real 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. After one such incident, Bryan Robson reportedly joked, "Pick a different target, Denis, make sure it's not the chairman's cousin!"

Yet, players could also be helpful. Before an Arsenal match, she told legend Ian Wright to celebrate her if he scored. He did find the net, but at first ran the wrong way.

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

A Cat Named Carrington

Beyond football, Haroun is a dedicated cat lover. Her family 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 abandoned cat, Haroun was hesitant—she was caring for 23 at the time. However, a recognisable gruff voice came on the line and instructed her: "You have to take it!"

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