My Name Is MUFC: The Superfan Who Battled to Change His Legal Name
Pose the question to any Manchester United devotee from an earlier generation concerning the importance of that fateful day in May 1999, and they'll recount that the occasion changed them forever. It was the night when last-minute strikes from Teddy Sheringham and Solskjær secured an stunning 2-1 comeback in the European Cup final against the German giants at the famous Barcelona stadium. Simultaneously, the existence of one devoted supporter in Eastern Europe, who passed away at the 62 years old, was transformed.
Hopes in a Bygone Era
That supporter was born Marin Levidzhov in his hometown, a place with a modest number of residents. Being raised in a socialist state with a passion for football, he dreamed of changing his name to… the Red Devils. However, to claim the name of a football club from the capitalist west was a futile endeavor. Any effort to do so before the fall of the regime, he would undoubtedly have faced imprisonment.
A Promise Forged in Drama
A decade after the fall of the regime in Bulgaria – on the historic evening – Marin's personal goal edged closer to fulfillment. Tuning in from home from his humble abode in Svishtov and with his team losing, Marin made a promise to himself: if United somehow turned the game around, he would do anything to legally adopt the name that of the team he adored. Then, a miracle occurred.
A lifelong wish to walk the halls of the famous stadium came true.
Years of Judicial Challenges
A day later, Marin sought legal counsel to state his extraordinary desire, thus starting a grueling process. His dad, from whom he had learned to support the club, was no longer alive, and the 36-year-old was caring for his parent, taking on various types of work, including as a builder on £15 a day. He was barely getting by, yet his aspiration grew into a mania. He soon became the talk of the town, then gained worldwide attention, but many seasons full of judicial disputes and setbacks in litigation lay ahead.
Legal Obstacles and Small Wins
His request was denied early on for intellectual property issues: he could not change his name of a world-famous brand. Then a presiding magistrate allowed a compromise, saying Marin could change his first name to Manchester but that he was not to use the second part as his legal last name. “But I don’t want to be associated with just a place in the UK, I want to carry the title of my favourite football club,” Marin informed the judge. His fight went on.
His Beloved Cats
When not in court, he was often tending to his pets. He had a large number in his back yard in Svishtov and loved them as much as the his team. He gave each one a name after team stars: such as Vidic and others, they were the most famous cats in town. Who was his preferred pet of his close friends' nickname for him? The feline known as Beckham.
Marin bedecked in United gear.
Breakthroughs and Principles
He achieved a further success in court: he was allowed to add United as an legal alternative on his ID card. But still he wasn’t happy. “I will continue until my complete identity is Manchester United,” he vowed. His narrative resulted in business offers – an offer to have fan merchandise made using his identity – but although he was in need, he turned down the offer because he did not want to profit from his adored institution. The club's identity was sacred to him.
Goals Achieved and Enduring Symbols
A film was made in 2011. The filmmakers turned Marin’s dream of seeing the iconic stadium and there he even met Dimitar Berbatov, the national team player on the team's roster at the time.
Permanently marked the United crest on his brow subsequently as a protest against the legal rulings and in his final years it became more and more difficult for him to keep up the struggle. Employment was hard to find and he was bereaved to the pandemic. But he managed to continue. By birth a Catholic, he got baptised in an Eastern Orthodox church under the name his desired full name. “Ultimately, my true name is recognized with my real name,” he often stated.
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.