I Am Called Manchester United: This Superfan Who Battled to Change His Legal Name
Inquire of any Manchester United devotee who is older about the meaning of 26 May 1999, and they'll recount that the night was life-altering. It was the moment when last-minute strikes from Teddy Sheringham and Solskjær completed an incredible late turnaround in the showpiece event against the German giants at the Camp Nou. That same night, the life of one devoted supporter in Eastern Europe, who recently died at the age of 62, took a new direction.
Hopes in a Bygone Era
That supporter was given the name Marin Levidzhov in a small Danube town, a settlement with a population of 22,000. Living in communist Bulgaria with a devotion to football, he aspired to adopting a new name to… the Red Devils. But, to claim the name of a organization from the capitalist west was an unattainable goal. Had Marin tried to do so before the fall of the regime, he would likely have faced imprisonment.
A Promise Forged in Drama
A decade after the political changes in Bulgaria – on the historic evening – Marin's unique aspiration came one step closer to fulfillment. Tuning in from home from his modest home in Svishtov and with his team losing, Marin swore an oath to himself: should his team mount a comeback, he would go to any lengths to legally adopt the name that of the club he loved. Then, the impossible happened.
Marin fulfils his dream of visiting Old Trafford.
A Protracted Court Struggle
A day later, 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 36-year-old was residing with his mom, working all kinds of odd jobs, including as a construction worker on a meager daily wage. He was struggling financially, yet his aspiration grew into a mania. He quickly turned into the subject of gossip, then gained worldwide attention, but 15 years full of legal battles and disheartening court decisions lay ahead.
Copyright Hurdles and Partial Victories
Marin’s wish was denied early on for trademark concerns: he was barred from using the title of a internationally recognized entity. Then a court official ruled partially in his favour, saying Marin could change his first name to Manchester but that he was could not adopt the second part as his family name. “However, I desire to be identified with an urban area in the UK, I want to carry the title of my cherished club,” Marin stated during proceedings. The battle persisted.
His Beloved Cats
When not in court, he was often tending to his pets. He had many animals 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 best-known felines in town. Who was his preferred pet of his close friends' nickname for him? One named after David Beckham.
He was often seen in full club regalia.
Progress and Integrity
He achieved a further success in court: he was granted the right to append United as an legal alternative on his identification document. But he remained dissatisfied. “My efforts will persist until my full name is Manchester United,” he declared. His narrative resulted in business offers – an offer to have club products made using his identity – but even with his monetary challenges, he turned down the offer because he did not want to profit from his beloved team. The club's identity was inviolable.
Dreams Realized and Lasting Tributes
A film was made in 2011. The production team fulfilled his wish of experiencing the Theatre of Dreams and there he even encountered the Bulgarian striker, the national team player on the team's roster at the time.
Permanently marked the United crest on his brow three years later as a protest against the legal rulings and in his final years it became increasingly hard for him to continue his legal battle. Employment was hard to find and he was bereaved to the pandemic. But against the odds, he persevered. Born as a Catholic, he was christened in an Eastern Orthodox church under the name Manchester United Zdravkov Levidzhov. “In the eyes of the divine, I am with my chosen name,” he would frequently remark.
Earlier this week, his life came to an end. It is possible that Manchester United’s persistent fan could achieve eternal tranquility.
