Sharing a Dugout with Ferguson and Getting 'Knocked Out' – A Photographer's Stories

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

For photographer the lenswoman, this wasn't a hypothetical on a storm-lashed night in Moscow in 1992. Soaked from the sideways rain, she was presented with an unlikely decision: an ideal but soggy vantage point or a spot in the stands between Ferguson and his assistant Brian Kidd.

As the first female photographer to gain Premier League 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 weather. Haroun recalls witnessing rain like it. Her equipment was soaking, and her cameras were on the verge of breaking down.

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

After another 0-0 draw, United lost on penalties. Defender Gary Pallister, who missed the decisive kick, was left sobbing into his shirt. Facing the dugout, he presented Haroun with a perfect back-page photograph.

Preparing her flash, she thought Ferguson would be furious. True to form, 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 connections to Manchester United—including family members having served as directors—Haroun's path as a woman in a male-dominated field was not always easy.

She found it tough to be taken seriously and felt she was frequently "singled out" by security and police as the "easiest target." This came to a head with an arrest at a fiery Leeds vs. Manchester United match, where crowd trouble erupted.

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

Try to Run the Wright Way

Proximity to the pitch came with very real risks. Haroun was once "knocked out" by missiles thrown by supporters at an English club match in Turkey.

The danger wasn't limited to the players themselves. Strikes from stars like Wayne Rooney and Denis Irwin also sent her sprawling. After one such incident, Bryan Robson allegedly quipped, "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 asked legend Ian Wright to celebrate her if he scored. He scored, but at first ran the wrong way.

To her relief, Wright remembered, stopped, turned back, and charged towards her with a triumphant yell, allowing for the "perfect picture" she had hoped for.

A Cat Named Carrington

Away from football, Haroun is a dedicated feline enthusiast. Her family of multiple cats once 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 already had 23 at the time. However, a recognisable Scottish voice took the phone and ordered her: "You have to take it!"

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