My Name Is MUFC: This Die-Hard Supporter Who Fought to Alter His Legal Name
Ask any Man United fan who is older about the importance of May 26th, 1999, and the answer will be that the date changed them forever. It was the moment when injury-time goals from Sheringham and Solskjær secured an unbelievable late turnaround in the showpiece event against the German giants at the famous Barcelona stadium. That same night, the existence of one United fan in Bulgaria, who recently died at the 62 years old, took a new direction.
Aspirations Under Communism
The fan in question was born Marin Zdravkov Levidzhov in Svishtov, a community with a modest number of residents. Living in the former Eastern Bloc with a devotion to football, he longed to legally altering his identity to… his beloved club. But, to take the name of a organization from the other side of the Iron Curtain was a futile endeavor. Any effort to do so during the socialist era, he would almost certainly have faced imprisonment.
A Vow Made Under Pressure
A decade after the fall of the regime in Bulgaria – on the historic evening – Marin's unique aspiration came one step closer to reality. Viewing the match from his humble abode in Svishtov and with United trailing, Marin made a promise to himself: should his team mount a comeback, he would do anything to legally adopt the name that of the club he loved. Then, the impossible happened.
He realized his ambition to see the Theatre of Dreams.
A Protracted Court Struggle
The next day, Marin consulted an attorney to state his extraordinary desire, thus starting a grueling process. His dad, from whom he had gained his fandom, was no longer alive, and the 36-year-old was residing with his mom, working all kinds of odd jobs, including as a builder on minimal earnings. He was struggling financially, yet his dream became an obsession. He quickly turned into the local celebrity, then became an international sensation, but 15 years full of legal battles and setbacks in litigation awaited him.
Trademark Issues and Limited Success
His request was denied early on for copyright reasons: he was barred from using the title of a world-famous brand. Then a local judge granted a limited approval, saying Marin could alter his given name to the city name but that he was prohibited from using United as his official surname. “But I don’t want to be identified with an urban area in the UK, I want to wear the name of my beloved team,” Marin informed the judge. The struggle continued.
His Beloved Cats
Outside of legal proceedings, he was often caring for his feline friends. He had many animals in his outdoor space in Svishtov and cherished them equally with the his team. He named them all after team stars: including Ferdinand and Rooney, they were the best-known felines in town. Which was the favourite cat of Man U? The feline known as Beckham.
His attire consistently showed his allegiance.
Breakthroughs and Principles
He achieved a further success in court: he was permitted to include the club name as an official nickname on his identification document. But he remained dissatisfied. “My efforts will persist until my complete identity is the club's title,” he declared. His narrative resulted in business offers – a chance to have fan merchandise branded with his legal name – but despite his financial struggles, he declined the proposal because he was unwilling to gain financially from his favourite club. The club's identity was beyond commercial use.
Aspirations Fulfilled and Final Acts
A documentary followed in that year. The production team turned Marin’s dream of visiting Old Trafford and there he even had the chance to see Dimitar Berbatov, the Bulgaria striker then at the club at the time.
Marin tattooed the United crest on his brow at a later date as a demonstration against the court decisions and in his final years it became ever tougher for him to keep up the struggle. Job opportunities were scarce and he was bereaved to Covid-19. But against the odds, he persevered. By birth a Catholic, he was christened in an orthodox church under the name Manchester United Zdravkov Levidzhov. “At least God will know me with my real name,” he used to say.
On a recent Monday, his time ran out. Maybe at last the club's determined supporter could finally find peace.
