By Martin Graham
In 1992, during a European qualifier in Moscow that followed a goalless draw at Old Trafford, photographer Magi Haroun soaked up torrential weather. His gear was soaked, the rain was pouring sideways, and he was afraid his cameras could fail at any moment.
As he faced the pitch, Sir Alex Ferguson noticed his condition and asked: “Magi, are you a bit wet?” before inviting her to sit between him and assistant Brian Kidd. He accepted the offer, though later admitted he preferred to be behind the net to capture better angles.
The match ended 0-0 once again and Torpedo Moscow won on penalties. Gary Pallister missed the decisive attempt. Heading into the technical area, he broke down emotionally, giving Haroun a potential cover photo. He readied his camera, knowing Ferguson might object. True to her expectation, the manager warned, “If you do that, I’ll never speak to you again!”
Breaking barriers in the Premier League
Haroun grew up surrounded by Manchester United. His uncle Louis Edwards served as chairman of the club until 1980, while his cousin Martin Edwards took over the role and was involved in the creation of the Premier League. His father, Denzil Haroun, was a director of the club.
Despite this background, she faced resistance as the first woman to receive Premier League accreditation while working for the Today newspaper. She felt attacked by officials and law enforcement who considered her vulnerable. He described feeling fired because he was “the weakest link,” facing skepticism in a male-dominated profession.
Even in chaotic scenes, he persisted. At Elland Road during a match between Leeds and Manchester United, she was arrested amid crowd disturbances despite only caring about her cameras. She believed the arrest occurred because she was a woman, not because of her actions.
The danger zone: dangers on and off the field of play
Being close to the pitch involved regular risks. In Trabzon during a Trabzonspor-Aston Villa match, he was knocked unconscious by objects thrown from the stands. Training and warming up also posed problems. Wayne Rooney accidentally knocked her unconscious during shooting practice, while a powerful strike from Denis Irwin had the same result. Bryan Robson joked that if a photographer was going to get hurt, it shouldn’t be the president’s family member.
The players sometimes helped with his work. Ahead of a European night with Arsenal, she asked Ian Wright to celebrate if she scored. Initially sprinting after scoring, Wright paused, turned and came back screaming in celebration with arms outstretched, allowing him to capture an ideal image with a wide-angle lens.
A cat named Carrington
Haroun’s affection for cats became well known. He was already 23 when Manchester United’s long-time receptionist Kath Phipps asked him to adopt another one at the training base. Hesitant at first, he heard Sir Alex Ferguson insist: “Magi, get the cat!”
He agreed and named the cat Carrington, after the club’s training ground.
