I Go By Manchester United: The Die-Hard Supporter Who Fought to Alter His Legal Name
Ask any Man United fan from an earlier generation concerning the importance of May 26th, 1999, and they'll recount that the date changed them forever. It was the night when injury-time goals from Teddy Sheringham and Solskjær completed an stunning come-from-behind victory in the showpiece event against the German giants at the Camp Nou. Simultaneously, the world of one loyal follower in Eastern Europe, who has died at the age of 62, was transformed.
A Dream Born in Communist Bulgaria
The fan in question was given the name Marin Zdravkov Levidzhov in a small Danube town, a settlement with a modest number of residents. Being raised in the former Eastern Bloc with a love of football, he longed to adopting a new name to… Manchester United. However, to adopt the name of a organization from the capitalist west was an unattainable goal. If he had attempted to do so prior to the end of communism, he would undoubtedly have ended up in jail.
A Promise Forged in Drama
A decade after the end of communism in Bulgaria – on the historic evening – Marin's personal goal moved nearer to achievement. Viewing the match from his modest home in Svishtov and with the score against them, Marin swore an oath to himself: should his team mount a comeback, he would go to any lengths to become known as that of the object of his devotion. Then, the impossible happened.
A lifelong wish to walk the halls of the famous stadium came true.
A Protracted Court Struggle
The next day, Marin visited a lawyer to present his unique case, thus starting a grueling process. The parent who inspired him, from whom he had learned to support the club, was deceased, and the 36-year-old was caring for his parent, taking on various types of work, including as a laborer on minimal earnings. He was barely getting by, yet his aspiration grew into a mania. He quickly turned into the talk of the town, then became an international sensation, but 15 years full of court cases and discouraging rulings lay ahead.
Trademark Issues and Limited Success
His request was rejected initially for copyright reasons: he could not change his name of a trademark known around the globe. Then a presiding magistrate ruled partially in his favour, saying Marin could alter his given name to the city name but that he was prohibited from using the second part as his official surname. “But I don’t want to be associated with just a place in the UK, I want to wear the name of my beloved team,” Marin stated during proceedings. The struggle continued.
His Beloved Cats
When not in court, he was often caring for his feline friends. He had many animals in his garden in Svishtov and cherished them equally with the Red Devils. He named them all after club legends: such as Vidic and others, they were the celebrity pets in town. The one he loved most of his close friends' nickname for him? A kitty called Beckham.
He was often seen in full club regalia.
Progress and Integrity
Marin managed another breakthrough in court: he was permitted to include United as an recognized alias on his personal papers. But still he wasn’t happy. “I won’t stop until my full name is the club's title,” he promised. His narrative resulted in business offers – an offer to have supporters' goods produced under his new name – but although he was in need, he turned down the offer because he was unwilling to gain financially from his favourite club. The club's identity was sacred to him.
Dreams Realized and Lasting Tributes
His story was captured in that year. The production team fulfilled his wish of visiting Old Trafford and there he even had the chance to see the Bulgarian striker, the Bulgaria striker playing for United at the time.
Marin tattooed the team emblem on his brow three years later as a protest against the legal rulings and in his closing chapter it became increasingly hard for him to continue his legal battle. Job opportunities were scarce and he suffered the death of his mother to the pandemic. But against the odds, he persevered. Born as a Catholic, he was christened in an religious institution under the name his desired full name. “In the eyes of the divine, I am with my real name,” he often stated.
This Monday, 13 October, his time ran out. Maybe at last Manchester United’s restless soul could finally find peace.
