Sharing a Dugout with Sir Alex and Being 'Knocked Out' – The Lenswoman's Tales

Imagine receiving an invitation to sit next to Sir Alex Ferguson in the Manchester United dugout in the middle of a pivotal European match. What would you do?

For photographer Magi Haroun, this wasn't a hypothetical on a storm-lashed night in Moscow in 1992. Drenched from the horizontal rain, she was faced with an extraordinary decision: an ideal yet wet shooting position or a spot in the stands flanked by Ferguson and his right-hand man Brian Kidd.

As the first female 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'

Following a scoreless 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 drenched, and her cameras were on the verge of breaking down.

Noticed by Ferguson in the second half, he asked, "Are you a bit wet?" before telling her to "Come between Kiddo and myself." She spent the rest of the match there, even if she would have preferred behind the goal for better shots.

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

Preparing her flash, she knew Ferguson would be annoyed. True to form, the manager glared 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 chairmen—Haroun's path as a woman in a male-dominated field was far from easy.

She found it tough to be taken seriously and felt she was frequently "picked on" by stewards and police as the "weakest link." This came to a head with an incident at a volatile Leeds vs. Manchester United match, where crowd 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 missiles thrown by supporters at an English club match in Turkey.

The hazard also came from the players themselves. Strikes from legends like Wayne Rooney and Denis Irwin at times sent her sprawling. On one such occasion, Bryan Robson reportedly quipped, "If you're going to kill a photographer, Denis, make sure it's not the chairman's cousin!"

However, players could also be helpful. Prior to an Arsenal match, she told legend Ian Wright to celebrate 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, allowing for the "perfect picture" she had hoped for.

A Cat Named Carrington

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

Told of an abandoned cat, Haroun was hesitant—she was caring for 23 at the time. But, a familiar Scottish voice took the phone and ordered her: "You have to take it!"

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