I Go By Man Utd: This Die-Hard Supporter Who Battled to Alter His Legal Name
Pose the question to any United fan who is older regarding the significance of 26 May 1999, and the answer will be that the date was life-altering. It was the night when last-minute strikes from Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjær secured an unbelievable late turnaround in the Champions League final against the German giants at the Camp Nou. It was also, the world of one devoted supporter in Eastern Europe, who passed away at the 62 years old, was transformed.
Aspirations Under Communism
That supporter was given the name Marin Levidzhov in Svishtov, a settlement with a tight-knit community. Being raised in a socialist state with a love of football, he longed to adopting a new name to… Manchester United. Yet, to take the name of a sports team from the Western world was a futile endeavor. If he had attempted to do so before the fall of the regime, he would likely have faced imprisonment.
A Vow Made Under Pressure
A decade after the political changes in Bulgaria – on that night in May 1999 – Marin's personal goal came one step closer to achievement. Watching the final from his modest home in Svishtov and with his team losing, Marin vowed to himself: if United somehow turned the game around, he would spare no effort to change his name that of the object of his devotion. Then, the impossible happened.
Marin fulfils his dream of visiting Old Trafford.
The Long Legal Battle
A day later, Marin visited a lawyer to state his extraordinary desire, 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 residing with his mom, employed in miscellaneous roles, including as a construction worker on minimal earnings. He was struggling financially, yet his dream became an obsession. He soon became the subject of gossip, then gained worldwide attention, but many seasons full of court cases and disheartening court decisions were to come.
Copyright Hurdles and Partial Victories
Marin’s wish was denied early on for copyright reasons: he was barred from using the title of a internationally recognized entity. Then a presiding magistrate allowed a compromise, saying Marin could change his first name to the city name but that he was could not adopt United as his official surname. “However, I desire to be identified with an urban area in the UK, I want to wear the name of my cherished club,” Marin informed the judge. 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 back yard in Svishtov and cherished them equally with the Manchester United. He christened them after club legends: from Rio to Rooney, they were the most famous cats in town. Who was his preferred pet of Man U? The feline known as Beckham.
He was often seen in full club regalia.
Advances and Ethics
He achieved a further success in court: he was permitted to include the club name as an legal alternative on his personal papers. But still he wasn’t happy. “I won’t stop until my full name is Manchester United,” he declared. His story soon led to financial opportunities – an offer to have club products branded with his legal name – but even with his monetary challenges, he turned down the offer because he refused to make money from his favourite club. The team's title was inviolable.
Aspirations Fulfilled and Final Acts
His story was captured in that year. The filmmakers turned Marin’s dream of experiencing the Theatre of Dreams and there he even met Dimitar Berbatov, the forward on the team's roster at the time.
He inked the club badge on his forehead subsequently as a demonstration against the judicial outcomes and in his final years it became more and more difficult for him to persist with his fight. Work was limited and he suffered the death of his mother to Covid-19. But against the odds, he persevered. Born as a Catholic, he underwent baptism in an Eastern Orthodox church under the name the identity he sought. “Ultimately, my true name is recognized with my chosen name,” he would frequently remark.
This Monday, 13 October, his time ran out. It is possible that the club's restless soul could achieve eternal tranquility.
