The Premier League’s first female photographer, Magi Haroun, talks about being a pioneer and the hazards of sitting pitch-side
In the hallowed corridors of Old Trafford, a young woman quietly rewrote the rules of a male-dominated profession. Magi Haroun’s story is one of perseverance, breaking down barriers, and knowing when not to get on the wrong side of Sir Alex Ferguson.
A pioneer in football photography, Magi had grown up around Manchester United. Her uncle, Lewis Edwards, was the chairman of the club from 1965 to 1980, and from an early age, she was introduced to the club’s inner circle.
After Lewis Edwards’ departure, her cousin Martin Edwards became chairman, while her father, Denzel Haroun, also served as a club director.
“I was at Man United since I was six years old, so I knew all the old players,” said Magi. “They’d get me a Coca-Cola or something after a match, and I’d sit there on their knee because I was a child and they were so good to me.”
After graduating from Manchester Art College, she embarked on a career in football photography.
Speaking on the BBC’s Sporting Witness podcast, Magi revealed that despite her strong family connections, entering the field was a challenge.
“I was the first female photographer in England doing football,” said Magi.
“I would get stick from the stewards, they were like, ‘What are you doing here?’ I’d say, well, I’m a photographer and they’d look me up and down and go, ‘Right? No chance.’”
“I was never taken seriously,” she added.
Entering the 1990s, football in the UK underwent massive changes. A five-year ban on English clubs from European competitions due to hooliganism was lifted, and in 1992, the Premier League was formed.
Amid this transformative period in the early 1990s, Magi became the Premier League’s first female photographer while working for The Today newspaper. This era also marked the beginning of Manchester United’s dominance under Sir Alex Ferguson.
Her close relationship with staff and players often led her to cover Manchester United, which paid off during a memorable UEFA Cup tie in Moscow.
“I’ve never seen rain like it,” said Magi. “It was going sideways, and it was heavy drops.”
“I came back in the second half, and Alex Ferguson and Brian Kidd were sitting in the dugout. Alex said, ‘Magi, are you a bit wet?’
“I was dripping, literally dripping. He said, ‘Don’t worry about that, come and sit between Kiddo and myself’. So for the second half of that European match, I was sitting between the manager and the assistant manager.”
That night, Manchester United lost on penalties when Magi spotted the player who had missed sobbing into his shirt, his face turned towards the dugout. She quickly rattled off several snaps, which made the back page of the newspaper.
Reaching into her bag for her flash and wide-angled lens, she realised taking more photographs of the player at his lowest moment might see her on the receiving end of one of Sir Alex’s infamous hair-dryer tirades normally reserved for poor-performing players.
“I thought to myself, Alex will be really annoyed at this,” said Magi. “He looked at me and said, ‘If you do that, I’ll never speak to you again.’ I went, ‘Right, okay, fair enough’.”
It wasn’t the only time Magi did as she was told after some stern words from Fergie. Magi, famous for her love of cats (she once had 23) received a phone call from Kath, the receptionist at United’s Carrington training ground.
“She said, ‘Magi, we’ve got this cat, it’s been abandoned; I think it’ll have a good life with you.’ I said, ‘I’ve got 23! For God’s sake, Kath, I don’t need any more.’
“And there was this Scottish voice from behind: ‘Magi, take the cat.’ I went, ‘Okay, Alex,’ because I reckoned it was him. ‘Okay, Alex, I’ll come round now.’”
Magi’s new cat was named Carrington after the training ground where it was found.
Despite being the perfect place to capture pictures, sitting so close to the action on match days brought its own risks for Magi.
Magi said: “Tottenham Hotspur versus Aston Villa. Well, my God, I was suddenly knocked out because of the rock-throwing supporters. Wayne Rooney practicing knocked me out one day.
“Dennis Irwin – he shot at goal, but he knocked me out. And I think it was Bryan Robson who turned around and said, ‘God, if you’re going to kill a photographer, Dennis, make certain it’s not the chairman’s cousin.’
Yet, despite the knockouts and prejudices that she faced, Magi said she has no regrets about her career choice.
“There was nothing I could have changed,” said Magi. “I just went along with the flow and it was lovely.”
You can hear the full interview with Magi Haroun on the BBC’s Sporting Witness podcast here.
