My Name Is Manchester United: This Superfan Who Struggled to Alter His Identity
Ask any Manchester United devotee of a certain age about the importance of May 26th, 1999, and the answer will be that the date left an indelible mark. It was the night when injury-time goals from Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjær sealed an stunning 2-1 comeback 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, was transformed.
Aspirations Under Communism
This individual was born Marin Zdravkov Levidzhov in his hometown, a community with a tight-knit community. Growing up in communist Bulgaria with a devotion to football, he aspired to adopting a new name to… his beloved club. However, to adopt the name of a sports team from the other side of the Iron Curtain was an unattainable goal. Any effort to do so before the fall of the regime, he would almost certainly have ended up in jail.
A Commitment Sealed by Fate
Ten years after the end of communism in Bulgaria – on the unforgettable final – Marin's unique aspiration moved nearer to achievement. Tuning in from home from his humble abode in Svishtov and with United trailing, Marin vowed 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, the impossible happened.
A lifelong wish to walk the halls of the famous stadium came true.
Years of Judicial Challenges
The following morning, Marin visited a lawyer to express his unusual request, thus starting a grueling process. The parent who inspired him, from whom he had gained his fandom, was long gone, and the man in his thirties was living with his mother, 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 local celebrity, then gained worldwide attention, but 15 years full of judicial disputes and discouraging rulings were to come.
Legal Obstacles and Small Wins
His request was rejected initially for trademark concerns: he could not change his name of a trademark known around the globe. Then a presiding magistrate allowed a compromise, saying Marin could alter his given name to Manchester but that he was could not adopt United as his family name. “However, I desire to be associated with just a place in Britain, I want to bear the identity of my favourite football club,” Marin stated during proceedings. The struggle continued.
A Life with Feline Friends
During breaks from litigation, he was often caring for his feline friends. He had plenty of them in his back yard in Svishtov and held them in the same esteem as the Manchester United. He christened them after team stars: from Rio to Rooney, they were the best-known felines in town. Which was the favourite cat of the name they used? The feline known as Beckham.
Marin bedecked in United gear.
Breakthroughs and Principles
Marin managed another breakthrough in court: he was permitted to include United as an recognized alias on his identification document. But he remained dissatisfied. “I won’t stop until my entire name is as I desire,” he promised. His tale attracted business offers – an offer to have club products branded with his legal name – but despite his financial struggles, he rejected the opportunity because he was unwilling to gain financially from his favourite club. The Manchester United name was sacred to him.
Dreams Realized and Lasting Tributes
A film was made in 2011. The filmmakers fulfilled his wish of visiting Old Trafford and there he even met Dimitar Berbatov, the forward on the team's roster at the time.
He inked the team emblem on his forehead at a later date as a demonstration against the legal rulings and in his final years it became more and more difficult for him to continue his legal battle. Work was limited and he lost his mother to Covid-19. But against the odds, he persevered. Born as a Catholic, he underwent baptism in an religious institution under the name his desired full name. “In the eyes of the divine, I am with my chosen name,” he would frequently remark.
Earlier this week, his heart stopped beating. Maybe at last the club's determined supporter could finally find peace.
