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Picture receiving an invitation to sit beside Sir Alex Ferguson in the United dugout during a crucial European match. What would you do?

To photographer the lenswoman, this became a reality on a storm-lashed night in Moscow in 1992. Soaked from the sideways rain, she was faced with an unlikely decision: a perfect but soggy vantage point or a spot in the stands flanked by Ferguson and his right-hand man Brian Kidd.

As the first female photographer to gain Premier League accreditation, remarkable 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 as unpredictable as the weather. Haroun describes witnessing rain like it. Her equipment was soaking, 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 instructing 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 better shots.

After a second 0-0 draw, United lost on penalties. Centre-back Gary Pallister, who failed to convert the final kick, was left sobbing into his shirt. Facing the dugout, he presented Haroun with a perfect front-page image.

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

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

She struggled to be respected and felt she was often "picked on" by security and police as the "weakest link." The discrimination even led to an arrest at a fiery Leeds vs. Manchester United match, where fan trouble broke out.

"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

Being close to the pitch came with physical risks. Haroun was on one occasion "rendered unconscious" by missiles thrown by supporters at an English club match in Turkey.

The danger wasn't limited to the players themselves. Strikes from legends like Wayne Rooney and Denis Irwin at times 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!"

Yet, players could also be accommodating. Prior to an Arsenal match, she asked legend Ian Wright to celebrate her if he scored. He did find the net, but initially ran the wrong way.

To her relief, Wright remembered, halted, turned back, and charged towards her with a triumphant yell, allowing for the "perfect picture" she had envisioned.

A Feline Named Carrington

Beyond football, Haroun is a dedicated cat lover. Her family of multiple cats once grew thanks to an unexpected call from the receptionist at Manchester United's Carrington training ground.

Told of an abandoned cat, Haroun was reluctant—she already had 23 at the time. But, a familiar gruff voice took the phone and instructed her: "You have to take it!"

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