I Am Called Manchester United: The Superfan Who Struggled to Alter His Legal Name
Pose the question to any Manchester United fan who is older regarding the importance of that fateful day in May 1999, and they will tell you that the night was life-altering. It was the night when last-minute strikes from Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjær secured an stunning late turnaround in the Champions League final against the German giants at the famous Barcelona stadium. That same night, the life of one loyal follower in Bulgaria, who recently died at the age of 62, changed forever.
Hopes in a Bygone Era
The fan in question was originally called Marin Levidzhov in his hometown, a settlement with a population of 22,000. Living in a socialist state with a love of football, he longed to changing his name to… the Red Devils. Yet, to adopt the name of a football club from the capitalist west was an unattainable goal. Any effort to do so prior to the end of communism, he would almost certainly have ended up in jail.
A Commitment Sealed by Fate
A decade after the end of communism in Bulgaria – on the unforgettable final – Marin's unique aspiration came one step closer to achievement. Watching the final from his simple residence in Svishtov and with the score against them, Marin swore an oath to himself: in the event of a reversal, he would do anything to become known as that of the team he adored. Then, the impossible happened.
Marin fulfils his dream of visiting Old Trafford.
A Protracted Court Struggle
The next day, Marin consulted an attorney to present his unique case, thus starting a grueling process. The parent who inspired him, from whom he had inherited his love of United, was deceased, and the 36-year-old was living with his mother, employed in miscellaneous roles, including as a builder 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 setbacks in litigation awaited him.
Legal Obstacles and Small Wins
The application was denied early on for copyright reasons: he was not permitted to adopt the name of a internationally recognized entity. Then a local judge ruled partially in his favour, saying Marin could modify his forename to the city name but that he was prohibited from using the second part as his official surname. “But I don’t want to be named after a city in England, I want to wear the name of my favourite football club,” Marin stated during proceedings. The struggle continued.
A Life with Feline Friends
During breaks from litigation, he was often tending to his pets. He had plenty of them in his back yard in Svishtov and held them in the same esteem as the his team. He gave each one a name after United players: including Ferdinand and Rooney, they were the celebrity pets in town. The one he loved most of his close friends' nickname for him? The feline known as Beckham.
Marin bedecked in United gear.
Progress and Integrity
He achieved a further success in court: he was allowed to add the club name as an legal alternative on his personal papers. But still he wasn’t happy. “I will continue until my full name is as I desire,” he vowed. His narrative resulted in business offers – a chance to have fan merchandise made using his identity – but although he was in need, he turned down the offer because he refused to make money from his adored institution. The club's identity was sacred to him.
Dreams Realized and Lasting Tributes
His story was captured in 2011. The crew fulfilled his wish of seeing the iconic stadium and there he even encountered his compatriot, the forward on the team's roster at the time.
He inked the team emblem on his brow at a later date as a protest against the judicial outcomes and in his final years it became ever tougher for him to continue his legal battle. Job opportunities were scarce and he was bereaved to Covid-19. But somehow, he found a way. Originally of Catholic faith, he underwent baptism in an religious institution under the name the identity he sought. “In the eyes of the divine, I am with my true identity,” he used to say.
On a recent Monday, his life came to an end. It is possible that Manchester United’s restless soul could at last be at rest.
