I Go By MUFC: The Die-Hard Supporter Who Struggled to Alter His Name
Pose the question to any Man United fan from an earlier generation regarding the meaning of 26 May 1999, and the answer will be that the date left an indelible mark. It was the moment when injury-time goals from Teddy Sheringham and Solskjær completed an unbelievable 2-1 comeback in the European Cup final against Bayern Munich at the Camp Nou. Simultaneously, the world of one loyal follower in Eastern Europe, who passed away at the age of 62, changed forever.
A Dream Born in Communist Bulgaria
This individual was given the name Marin Zdravkov Levidzhov in a small Danube town, a community with a modest number of residents. Being raised in a socialist state with a love of football, he dreamed of changing his name to… the Red Devils. However, to adopt the name of a sports team from the other side of the Iron Curtain was an unattainable goal. If he had attempted to do so before the fall of the regime, he would likely have faced imprisonment.
A Commitment Sealed by Fate
Ten years after the end of communism in Bulgaria – on that night in May 1999 – Marin's idiosyncratic dream moved nearer to fulfillment. Watching the final from his simple residence in Svishtov and with his team losing, Marin made a promise to himself: should his team mount a comeback, he would spare no effort to legally adopt the name that of the club he loved. Then, a miracle occurred.
A lifelong wish to walk the halls of the famous stadium came true.
A Protracted Court Struggle
The following morning, Marin visited a lawyer to present his unique case, thus starting a grueling process. Marin’s father, from whom he had inherited his love of United, was no longer alive, and the 36-year-old was living with his mother, employed in miscellaneous roles, including as a construction worker on £15 a day. He was struggling financially, yet his aspiration grew into a mania. He soon became the local celebrity, then became an international sensation, but a decade and a half full of legal battles and disheartening court decisions awaited him.
Trademark Issues and Limited Success
His request was turned down at first for copyright reasons: he was barred from using the title of a internationally recognized entity. Then a presiding magistrate ruled partially in his favour, saying Marin could change his first name to Manchester but that he was could not adopt the second part as his official surname. “However, I desire to be associated with just a place in the UK, I want to carry the title of my beloved team,” Marin stated during proceedings. The struggle continued.
A Life with Feline Friends
When not in court, he was often looking after his cats. He had plenty of them in his outdoor space in Svishtov and loved them as much as the his team. He christened them after team stars: from Rio to Rooney, they were the best-known felines in town. Which was the favourite cat of his close friends' nickname for him? One named after David 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 official nickname on his identification document. 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 even with his monetary challenges, he declined the proposal because he refused to make money from his beloved team. The Manchester United name was inviolable.
Aspirations Fulfilled and Final Acts
His story was captured in 2011. The production team turned Marin’s dream of experiencing the Theatre of Dreams and there he even met the Bulgarian striker, the national team player playing for United at the time.
Marin tattooed the United crest on his forehead three years later as a protest against the judicial outcomes and in his final years it became increasingly hard for him to persist with his fight. Job opportunities were scarce and he was bereaved to the virus. But against the odds, he persevered. Born as a Catholic, he got baptised in an orthodox church under the name the identity he sought. “At least God will know me with my chosen name,” he would frequently remark.
This Monday, 13 October, his time ran out. It is possible that the club's persistent fan could achieve eternal tranquility.