My Name Is Man Utd: This Superfan Who Struggled to Alter His Legal Name
Ask any Manchester United fan who is older concerning the importance of 26 May 1999, and they will tell you that the date left an indelible mark. It was the evening when last-minute strikes from Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjær sealed an unbelievable 2-1 comeback in the Champions League final against the German giants at the famous Barcelona stadium. Simultaneously, the existence of one loyal follower in Bulgaria, who passed away at the age of 62, took a new direction.
Hopes in a Bygone Era
The fan in question was born Marin Levidzhov in Svishtov, a settlement with a modest number of residents. Growing up in a socialist state with a devotion to football, he longed to legally altering his identity to… Manchester United. However, to take the name of a organization from the Western world was an unattainable goal. Any effort to do so prior to the end of communism, he would undoubtedly have ended up in jail.
A Vow Made Under Pressure
A decade after the fall of the regime in Bulgaria – on the historic evening – Marin's personal goal came one step closer to fulfillment. Tuning in from home from his modest home in Svishtov and with United trailing, Marin swore an oath to himself: in the event of a reversal, he would do anything to legally adopt the name that of the object of his devotion. Then, against all odds, it transpired.
Marin fulfils his dream of visiting Old Trafford.
Years of Judicial Challenges
A day later, Marin sought legal counsel to express his unusual request, thus beginning a long, hard battle. Marin’s father, from whom he had inherited his love of United, was no longer alive, and the man in his thirties was caring for his parent, employed in miscellaneous roles, including as a laborer on £15 a day. He was barely getting by, yet his dream became an obsession. He soon became the subject of gossip, then became an international sensation, but a decade and a half full of judicial disputes and disheartening court decisions awaited him.
Trademark Issues and Limited Success
The application was rejected initially for intellectual property issues: he could not change his name of a internationally recognized entity. Then a court official allowed a compromise, saying Marin could change his first name to Manchester but that he was not to use United as his legal last name. “Yet my aim is to be associated with just a place in the UK, I want to wear the name of my favourite football club,” Marin told the court. The battle persisted.
His Beloved Cats
When not in court, he was often looking after his cats. He had plenty of them in his back yard in Svishtov and loved them as much as the Red Devils. He christened them after team stars: including Ferdinand and Rooney, they were the best-known felines in town. The one he loved most of his close friends' nickname for him? The feline known as Beckham.
He was often seen in full club regalia.
Progress and Integrity
He achieved a further success in court: he was permitted to include the club name as an legal alternative on his ID card. But he remained dissatisfied. “My efforts will persist until my full name is as I desire,” he vowed. His narrative resulted in financial opportunities – a proposal to have supporters' goods produced under his new name – but although he was in need, he rejected the opportunity because he was unwilling to gain financially from his beloved team. The club's identity was sacred to him.
Goals Achieved and Enduring Symbols
A film was made in that year. The filmmakers turned Marin’s dream of seeing the iconic stadium and there he even had the chance to see the Bulgarian striker, the Bulgaria striker on the team's roster at the time.
He inked the team emblem on his brow at a later date as a objection to the legal rulings and in his last few years it became more and more difficult for him to continue his legal battle. Employment was hard to find and he was bereaved to Covid-19. But against the odds, he persevered. Originally of Catholic faith, he underwent baptism in an Eastern Orthodox church under the name his desired full name. “In the eyes of the divine, I am with my real name,” he often stated.
On a recent Monday, his heart stopped beating. Maybe at last Manchester United’s restless soul could achieve eternal tranquility.
