🔗 Share this article

Imagine being invited to sit next to Sir Alex Ferguson in the Manchester United dugout during a crucial European match. What would you do?

For photographer the lenswoman, this became a reality on a torrential night in Moscow in 1992. Soaked from the sideways rain, she was faced with an unlikely decision: a perfect but soggy shooting position or a dry seat flanked by Ferguson and his assistant Brian Kidd.

As the pioneering woman 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'

After a goalless first leg in Manchester, the second match in Russia was just as chaotic as the weather. Haroun describes witnessing rain that severe. Her equipment was drenched, 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 telling her to "Come between Kiddo and myself." She passed the rest of the match there, even if she admitted she'd rather be behind the goal for better shots.

After a second 0-0 draw, United were defeated on penalties. Defender Gary Pallister, who failed to convert the decisive kick, was left sobbing into his shirt. Looking towards the dugout, he presented Haroun with a potential back-page image.

Preparing her flash, she thought Ferguson would be furious. True to form, 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 ties to Manchester United—with family members 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 taken seriously and felt she was often "singled out" by stewards and police as the "easiest target." This came to a head with an incident at a volatile Leeds vs. Manchester United match, where crowd trouble broke out.

"It was me that got arrested because I'm the weakest link, I'm a woman," she said.

Remembering the Wright Way

Proximity 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. Shots from legends like Wayne Rooney and Denis Irwin also sent her sprawling. On one such occasion, Bryan Robson allegedly joked, "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 asked iconic striker Ian Wright to run towards her if he scored. He scored, but at first ran the wrong way.

To her relief, Wright remembered, 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 feline enthusiast. Her collection of multiple cats once grew thanks to an surprise call from a long-serving staff member at Manchester United's Carrington training ground.

Informed of an abandoned cat, Haroun was reluctant—she was caring for 23 at the time. But, 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.