🔗 Share this article

Picture receiving an invitation to sit beside Sir Alex Ferguson in the United dugout in the middle of a crucial European match. How would you react?

To photographer Magi Haroun, this became a reality on a torrential night in Moscow in 1992. Soaked from the sideways rain, she was faced with an unlikely decision: an ideal but soggy shooting position or a spot in the stands between Ferguson and his right-hand man Brian Kidd.

As the pioneering woman photographer to gain Premier League accreditation, unusual 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 just as chaotic as the weather. Haroun recalls witnessing rain that severe. Her equipment was soaking, and her cameras were on the verge of failing.

Spotted by Ferguson in the second half, he called out, "Are you a bit wet?" before telling her to "Sit between Kiddo and myself." She spent the rest of the match there, even if she would have preferred 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. Facing the dugout, he presented Haroun with a potential back-page photograph.

Preparing her flash, she knew Ferguson would be annoyed. 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'

Despite her deep family connections to Manchester United—with relatives having served as directors—Haroun's journey as a woman in a male-dominated field was not always easy.

She struggled to be taken seriously and felt she was often "picked on" by security and police as the "easiest target." The discrimination came to a head with an incident at a fiery 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 said.

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 English club match in Turkey.

The danger wasn't limited to the players themselves. Shots from legends like Wayne Rooney and Denis Irwin at times left her dazed. On one such occasion, Bryan Robson allegedly joked, "Pick a different target, Denis, make sure it's not the chairman's cousin!"

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

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

A Cat Named Carrington

Beyond football, Haroun is a known feline enthusiast. Her family 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 stray cat, Haroun was hesitant—she already had 23 at the time. However, a recognisable Scottish voice took the phone and instructed her: "You have to take it!"

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