Magi Haroun captured this iconic image of Sir Alex Ferguson with the Premier League trophy.
Imagine Sir Alex Ferguson inviting you to sit beside him in the Manchester United dugout during a crucial European match. What would your response be?
On a tempestuous evening in Moscow in 1992, photographer Magi Haroun, “literally dripping” from the torrential rain, found herself in precisely that extraordinary situation, courtesy of the then Manchester United manager.
Haroun faced a dilemma: brave the downpour for the perfect shot or accept a dry seat between Ferguson and his assistant, Brian Kidd.
As a pioneering female photographer – the first to receive Premier League accreditation while working for the Today newspaper – she was accustomed to unconventional situations and opted for the dugout.
While typically letting her images speak for themselves, Haroun recently shared her experiences with Ferguson on BBC’s Sporting Witness, along with tales of arrests and on-the-job injuries.
Haroun’s father, Denzil, was a director at Manchester United; the club’s reserve team player of the year award bears his name.
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The Premier League’s first female photographer.
Following a goalless draw in the first leg of the Uefa Cup first round in Manchester, the return fixture in the Russian capital was marked by torrential rain and an unpredictable game.
Haroun described the rain as unlike anything she had ever witnessed, “going sideways… it was dreadful”. Her equipment was “soaking”, and her cameras threatened to fail “any minute”.
During the second half, Ferguson noticed the drenched photographer and inquired, “Magi, are you a bit wet?” He then invited her to “come and sit between Kiddo and myself”.
She spent the remainder of the match in the dugout, though she admitted she would “rather be behind the goal” for better photographic opportunities.
After another scoreless draw, United succumbed to Torpedo Moscow on penalties, leaving Gary Pallister – who missed the decisive spot-kick – “sobbing into his shirt”.
Pallister faced the dugout, presenting Haroun with an opportunity for a photograph she knew would dominate the following morning’s headlines.
Prepared to capture the shot, she recalled, “I had my flash and my wide angle. I thought to myself, ‘Alex will be really annoyed at this’.”
Ferguson glanced at her and, as expected, warned, “If you do that, I’ll never speak to you again!”
Haroun’s portfolio includes this memorable shot of Ruud van Nistelrooy and Cristiano Ronaldo celebrating.
Haroun’s family connections meant she had been around Manchester United since childhood and knew the players well.
Her uncle, Louis Edwards, served as the club’s chairman from 1965. Her cousin, Martin Edwards, succeeded his father in 1980 and was instrumental in the formation of the Premier League.
Magi’s father, Denzil Haroun, also held a director position at Old Trafford.
However, her experiences as a female photographer weren’t always as positive as sitting next to the manager of her beloved club.
Haroun recounted the challenges of being “taken seriously” in the overwhelmingly male-dominated field of Premier League photography.
“According to the stewards and the police, I was always picked on because I was the weakest link,” said Haroun, a graduate of Manchester Art College.
Despite the obstacles, she remained undeterred, even if it meant facing adversity.
At a match between Leeds and Manchester United at Elland Road, amidst fan “collisions,” Haroun found herself “in the middle of it,” her primary concern being “mind my cameras!”
“It was me that got arrested because I’m the weakest link, I’m a woman,” she asserted.
Haroun became the first female accredited photographer in the Premier League while working for the Today newspaper.
The proximity to the action also presented other occupational hazards.
“Trabzonspor versus Aston Villa, I was suddenly knocked out because of the supporters throwing rocks,” Haroun recalled.
Beyond rocks, stray shots from footballing legends also posed a threat.
“Wayne Rooney, [while] practising, knocked me out one day,” she revealed.
“Denis Irwin, he shot at goal, but he knocked me out, and I think it was Bryan Robson who turned round and said: ‘If you’re going to kill a photographer, Denis, make sure it’s not the chairman’s cousin!'”
However, the players sometimes proved helpful in capturing the perfect shot.
Before a European match involving Arsenal, Haroun requested that Gunners legend Ian Wright celebrate in front of her if he scored.
Wright did score but initially ran in the opposite direction.
To Haroun’s relief, the striker realized his mistake.
“You could see him going the other way, then stopping and looking round and then coming back, [shouting] ‘yeah!’ with his arms outstretched, so much so that so I had to have a wide-angle lens on,” she recounted. “Perfect picture!”
Carrington the cat was rescued from Manchester United’s training ground.
Haroun is known not only for her football photography but also for her love of cats – she currently owns seven.
That passion once led to an unexpected phone call.
Due to her close ties with Manchester United, Haroun developed strong relationships with many staff members, including Kath Phipps, the receptionist at their Carrington training ground, who worked for the club for over 50 years and passed away in December 2024.
One day, Phipps called, saying, “Magi, we’ve got this cat. It’s been abandoned; I think it’ll have a good life with you.”
Already owning 23 cats at the time, she hesitated, but a familiar Scottish voice on the other end of the line insisted, “Magi, take the cat!”
Following Ferguson’s instruction, she took the cat home and named it Carrington.
Haroun captured this image of Kyle Walker and Dimitar Berbatov challenging for a ball.
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