🔗 Share this article

Imagine being invited to take a seat beside Sir Alex Ferguson in the Manchester United dugout during a pivotal European match. How would you react?

To photographer the lenswoman, this became a reality on a torrential night in Moscow in 1992. Drenched from the sideways rain, she was presented with an unlikely choice: a perfect yet wet shooting position or a dry seat between Ferguson and his right-hand man Brian Kidd.

As the pioneering woman photographer to gain Premier League accreditation, remarkable situations were par for the course. She chose the dugout.

'Come and Sit Between Kiddo and Me'

Following a goalless first leg in Manchester, the return fixture in Russia was as unpredictable as the conditions. Haroun recalls never seeing rain like it. Her equipment was soaking, and her cameras were likely to fail of failing.

Noticed 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 spent the remainder 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 missed the decisive kick, was seen crying into his shirt. Facing the dugout, he presented Haroun with a perfect front-page photograph.

With her flash ready, she thought Ferguson would be annoyed. 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 deep family ties to Manchester United—including relatives having served as directors—Haroun's path 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 came to a head with an arrest at a fiery Leeds vs. Manchester United match, where crowd trouble broke out.

"It was me 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 English club match in Turkey.

The danger wasn't limited to the players themselves. Shots from stars 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!"

Yet, players could also be helpful. Before an Arsenal match, she told iconic striker 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 arms outstretched, creating the "ideal picture" she had hoped for.

A Feline Named Carrington

Away from football, Haroun is a dedicated feline enthusiast. Her family of multiple cats on one occasion grew thanks to an surprise call from the receptionist 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: "You have to take it!"

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