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Picture being invited to sit next to Sir Alex Ferguson in the Manchester United dugout during a pivotal 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 unlikely decision: an ideal but soggy shooting position or a spot in the stands between Ferguson and his assistant Brian Kidd.

As the first female photographer to gain Premier League accreditation, unusual situations were par for the course. She chose 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 conditions. Haroun describes never seeing rain that severe. Her equipment was soaking, 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 instructing her to "Sit between Kiddo and myself." She spent the remainder of the match there, though she admitted she'd rather be behind the goal for better shots.

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

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

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

Despite her long-standing family connections 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 struggled to be taken seriously and felt she was often "singled out" by security and police as the "easiest target." The discrimination came to a head with an arrest at a volatile Leeds vs. Manchester United match, where crowd trouble erupted.

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

Try to Run the Wright Way

Proximity to the action came with very real risks. Haroun was once "knocked out" by rocks thrown by supporters at an English club match in Turkey.

The hazard wasn't limited to 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 legend Ian Wright to celebrate her if he scored. He scored, but at first ran the wrong way.

Fortunately, Wright remembered, stopped, turned back, and ran towards her with a triumphant yell, allowing for the "perfect picture" she had envisioned.

A Cat Named Carrington

Away from football, Haroun is a known feline enthusiast. Her family of multiple cats once grew thanks to an unexpected call from the receptionist at Manchester United's Carrington training ground.

Informed of an abandoned cat, Haroun was hesitant—she was caring for 23 at the time. But, a recognisable Scottish voice took the phone and ordered her: "You have to take it!"

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