My Name Is MUFC: This Superfan Who Battled to Alter His Legal Name
Ask any Manchester United fan who is older concerning the significance of 26 May 1999, and they will tell you that the night left an indelible mark. It was the night when dramatic late goals from Teddy Sheringham and Solskjær secured an incredible 2-1 comeback in the Champions League final against the German giants at the famous Barcelona stadium. That same night, the world of one devoted supporter in Eastern Europe, who recently died at the 62 years old, took a new direction.
Aspirations Under Communism
That supporter was originally called Marin Zdravkov Levidzhov in a small Danube town, a community with a modest number of residents. Being raised in communist Bulgaria with a passion for football, he aspired to changing his name to… the Red Devils. Yet, to take the name of a football club from the Western world was mission impossible. If he had attempted to do so prior to the end of communism, he would undoubtedly have faced imprisonment.
A Vow Made Under Pressure
Many seasons after the end of communism in Bulgaria – on the unforgettable final – Marin's personal goal moved nearer to achievement. Viewing the match from his humble abode in Svishtov and with his team losing, Marin made a promise to himself: should his team mount a comeback, he would do anything to become known as that of the club he loved. Then, the impossible happened.
He realized his ambition to see the Theatre of Dreams.
The Long Legal Battle
The following morning, Marin consulted an attorney to express his unusual request, thus beginning a long, hard battle. The parent who inspired him, from whom he had inherited his love of United, was long gone, and the 36-year-old was living with his mother, working all kinds of odd jobs, including as a construction worker on £15 a day. He was hardly making ends meet, yet his dream became an obsession. He rapidly evolved into the talk of the town, then was featured globally, but many seasons full of court cases and disheartening court decisions awaited him.
Legal Obstacles and Small Wins
His request was turned down at first for copyright reasons: he was barred from using the title of a trademark known around the globe. Then a presiding magistrate allowed a compromise, saying Marin could change his first name to Manchester but that he was prohibited from using the second part as his family name. “However, I desire to be identified with an urban area in England, I want to wear the name of my favourite football club,” Marin informed the judge. The struggle continued.
A Life with Feline Friends
During breaks from litigation, he was often looking after his cats. He had a large number in his back yard in Svishtov and cherished them equally with the his team. He christened them after team stars: from Rio to Rooney, they were the most famous cats in town. Who was his preferred pet of the name they used? One named after David Beckham.
His attire consistently showed his allegiance.
Breakthroughs and Principles
He achieved a further success in court: he was allowed to add United as an official nickname on his ID card. But he remained dissatisfied. “My efforts will persist until my full name is the club's title,” he declared. His story soon led to commercial propositions – a proposal to have supporters' goods produced under his new name – but even with his monetary challenges, he turned down the offer because he was unwilling to gain financially from his favourite club. The club's identity was beyond commercial use.
Dreams Realized and Lasting Tributes
A film was made in 2011. The production team turned Marin’s dream of seeing the iconic stadium and there he even encountered Dimitar Berbatov, the Bulgaria striker then at the club at the time.
Permanently marked the team emblem on his forehead at a later date as a protest against the legal rulings and in his final years it became increasingly hard for him to keep up the struggle. Job opportunities were scarce and he lost his mother to the pandemic. But he managed to continue. By birth a Catholic, he was christened in an religious institution under the name the identity he sought. “In the eyes of the divine, I am with my real name,” he often stated.
This Monday, 13 October, his life came to an end. Perhaps now Manchester United’s persistent fan could at last be at rest.
