Sitting with Ferguson and Being 'Knocked Out' – The Lenswoman's Stories

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

To photographer Magi Haroun, this became a reality on a storm-lashed night in Moscow in 1992. Soaked from the sideways rain, she was presented with an unlikely choice: an ideal but soggy vantage point or a spot in the stands flanked by Ferguson and his right-hand man Brian Kidd.

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

'Come and Sit Between Kiddo and Me'

Following a scoreless first leg in Manchester, the return fixture in Russia was just as chaotic as the conditions. Haroun recalls never seeing rain that severe. Her equipment was soaking, and her cameras were likely to fail of failing.

Noticed by Ferguson in the second half, he asked, "Are you a bit wet?" before instructing her to "Sit between Kiddo and myself." She passed the remainder of the match there, though she would have preferred behind the goal for superior shots.

After another 0-0 draw, United were defeated 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 perfect back-page photograph.

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

'My Gender Made Me a Target'

Despite her long-standing family connections to Manchester United—including relatives having served as chairmen—Haroun's journey as a woman in a male-dominated field was not always easy.

She found it tough to be respected and felt she was often "picked on" by security and police as the "weakest link." The discrimination came to a head with an incident at a volatile Leeds vs. Manchester United match, where fan trouble broke out.

"I was the one that got arrested because they saw me as the weakest link, I'm a woman," she stated.

Remembering the Wright Way

Being close to the pitch came with physical risks. Haroun was on one occasion "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 at times left her dazed. After one such incident, 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. Before an Arsenal match, she asked legend Ian Wright to celebrate her if he scored. He did find the net, but at first ran the opposite way.

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

A Feline Named Carrington

Away from football, Haroun is a dedicated cat lover. Her family of multiple cats on one occasion grew thanks to an unexpected call from a long-serving staff member at Manchester United's Carrington training ground.

Told of an stray cat, Haroun was hesitant—she already had 23 at the time. But, a familiar Scottish voice came on the line and instructed her: "You have to take it!"

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