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

To photographer the lenswoman, this became a reality on a torrential night in Moscow in 1992. Soaked from the sideways rain, she was presented 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 top-division accreditation, unusual situations were all in a day's work. She chose the dugout.

'Come and Sit Between Kiddo and Me'

After a scoreless first leg in Manchester, the return fixture in Russia was just as chaotic as the conditions. Haroun recalls never seeing rain like it. Her equipment was soaking, and her cameras were on the verge of breaking down.

Noticed by Ferguson in the second half, he called out, "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 admitted she'd rather be behind the goal for superior shots.

After another 0-0 draw, United were defeated on penalties. Centre-back Gary Pallister, who missed the final kick, was seen sobbing into his shirt. Facing the dugout, he presented Haroun with a potential front-page photograph.

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

'My Gender Made Me a Target'

Despite her deep family ties 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 found it tough to be taken seriously and felt she was often "singled out" by security and police as the "weakest link." This came to a head with an incident 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 action came with physical risks. Haroun was on one occasion "rendered unconscious" by rocks thrown by supporters at an Aston Villa match in Turkey.

The hazard also came from the players themselves. Shots from stars like Wayne Rooney and Denis Irwin at times left her dazed. After one such incident, Bryan Robson reportedly joked, "If you're going to kill a photographer, Denis, make sure it's not the chairman's cousin!"

Yet, players could also be accommodating. Before an Arsenal match, she told iconic striker Ian Wright to run towards her if he scored. He did find the net, but at first ran the wrong way.

To her relief, Wright realised, stopped, turned back, and ran towards her with arms outstretched, creating the "ideal picture" she had hoped for.

A Cat Named Carrington

Beyond football, Haroun is a known cat lover. 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 reluctant—she was caring for 23 at the time. But, a familiar gruff voice came on the line and instructed her: "You have to take it!"

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