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Picture receiving an invitation to take a seat beside Sir Alex Ferguson in the United dugout during a pivotal European match. How would you react?

To photographer the lenswoman, this wasn't a hypothetical on a torrential night in Moscow in 1992. Soaked from the horizontal rain, she was presented with an unlikely decision: an ideal but soggy vantage point or a dry seat flanked by Ferguson and his assistant Brian Kidd.

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

'Come and Sit Between Kiddo and Me'

After a goalless first leg in Manchester, the second match in Russia was just as chaotic as the conditions. Haroun recalls witnessing rain like it. Her equipment was soaking, and her cameras were likely to fail of breaking down.

Spotted by Ferguson in the second half, he called out, "You must be a bit wet?" before instructing her to "Sit between Kiddo and myself." She passed the rest of the match there, even if she would have preferred behind the goal for superior 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.

With her flash ready, she knew Ferguson would be furious. As expected, the manager looked at her and warned, "If you take that picture, I'll never speak to you again!"

'My Gender Made Me a Target'

Regardless of her long-standing family ties to Manchester United—with relatives having served as directors—Haroun's journey as a woman in a male-dominated field was far from easy.

She found it tough to be respected and believed she was frequently "picked on" by stewards and police as the "easiest target." The discrimination even led to an arrest at a fiery Leeds vs. Manchester United match, where fan trouble erupted.

"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

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

The hazard wasn't limited to the players themselves. Shots from legends like Wayne Rooney and Denis Irwin also left her dazed. After one such incident, Bryan Robson reportedly joked, "Pick a different target, Denis, make sure it's not the chairman's cousin!"

However, players could also be accommodating. Prior to an Arsenal match, she told legend Ian Wright to run towards her if he scored. He scored, but initially ran the opposite way.

To her relief, Wright realised, stopped, turned back, and ran towards her with a triumphant yell, creating the "perfect picture" she had hoped for.

A Cat Named Carrington

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

Told of an stray cat, Haroun was reluctant—she was caring for 23 at the time. However, a familiar Scottish voice came on the line and ordered her: "You have to take it!"

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