🔗 Share this article

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

To photographer Magi Haroun, this wasn't a hypothetical on a torrential night in Moscow in 1992. Drenched from the sideways rain, she was faced with an extraordinary choice: an ideal but soggy shooting position or a dry seat flanked by Ferguson and his assistant Brian Kidd.

As the first female photographer to gain top-division accreditation, remarkable situations were par for the course. She chose the dugout.

'Take a Seat Next to Us'

After a goalless first leg in Manchester, the return fixture in Russia was as unpredictable as the conditions. Haroun recalls never seeing rain that severe. Her equipment was drenched, and her cameras were on the verge of failing.

Noticed by Ferguson in the second half, he asked, "Are you a bit wet?" before telling her to "Sit between Kiddo and myself." She passed the rest of the match there, though she admitted she'd rather be behind the goal for better shots.

After another 0-0 draw, United were defeated on penalties. Defender Gary Pallister, who failed to convert the decisive kick, was seen crying into his shirt. Facing the dugout, he presented Haroun with a perfect back-page image.

With her flash ready, 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 long-standing family connections to Manchester United—with family members having served as chairmen—Haroun's path as a woman in a overwhelmingly male field was not always easy.

She struggled to be taken seriously and felt she was frequently "singled out" by security and police as the "weakest link." This even led to an incident 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 very real risks. Haroun was once "rendered unconscious" by missiles thrown by supporters at an Aston Villa match in Turkey.

The danger also came from the players themselves. Strikes from legends 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!"

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

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

A Feline Named Carrington

Away from football, Haroun is a dedicated feline enthusiast. Her family of seven cats once grew thanks to an unexpected call from a long-serving staff member at Manchester United's Carrington training ground.

Informed of an abandoned cat, Haroun was reluctant—she already had 23 at the time. However, a familiar Scottish voice took the phone and instructed her: "Magi, take the cat!"

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