My Name Is MUFC: The Superfan Who Battled to Change His Name
Ask any United fan who is older about the importance of 26 May 1999, and the answer will be that the occasion was life-altering. It was the evening when last-minute strikes from Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjær completed an incredible come-from-behind victory in the European Cup final against the German giants at the Camp Nou. It was also, the existence of one United fan in Bulgaria, who passed away at the 62 years old, took a new direction.
Hopes in a Bygone Era
That supporter was given the name Marin Zdravkov Levidzhov in a small Danube town, a community with a modest number of residents. Being raised in a socialist state with a passion for football, he aspired to adopting a new name to… his beloved club. Yet, to adopt the name of a football club from the Western world was an unattainable goal. If he had attempted to do so before the fall of the regime, he would likely have faced imprisonment.
A Promise Forged in Drama
Many seasons after the fall of the regime in Bulgaria – on the unforgettable final – Marin's unique aspiration came one step closer to achievement. Viewing the match from his modest home in Svishtov and with his team losing, Marin vowed to himself: should his team mount a comeback, he would do anything to change his name that of the object of his devotion. Then, a miracle occurred.
He realized his ambition to see the Theatre of Dreams.
Years of Judicial Challenges
A day later, Marin sought legal counsel 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 deceased, and the man in his thirties was residing with his mom, working all kinds of odd jobs, including as a laborer on £15 a day. He was hardly making ends meet, yet his aspiration grew into a mania. He soon became the local celebrity, then became an international sensation, but many seasons full of court cases and discouraging rulings awaited him.
Copyright Hurdles and Partial Victories
His request was turned down at first for trademark concerns: he was barred from using the title of a trademark known around the globe. Then a local judge ruled partially in his favour, saying Marin could alter his given name to the city name but that he was could not adopt the second part as his legal last name. “However, I desire to be identified with an urban area in Britain, I want to wear the name of my favourite football club,” Marin informed the judge. The struggle continued.
His Beloved Cats
During breaks from litigation, he was often tending to his pets. He had plenty of them in his garden in Svishtov and cherished them equally with the Red Devils. He christened them after team stars: from Rio to Rooney, they were the best-known felines in town. Who was his preferred pet of the name they used? A kitty called Beckham.
He was often seen in full club regalia.
Advances and Ethics
He achieved a further success in court: he was granted the right to append the club name as an official nickname on his ID card. But still he wasn’t happy. “My efforts will persist until my entire name is the club's title,” he declared. His story soon led to business offers – a proposal to have club products made using his identity – but even with his monetary challenges, he turned down the offer because he was unwilling to gain financially from his favourite club. The Manchester United name was sacred to him.
Goals Achieved and Enduring Symbols
A film was made in that year. The production team made his aspiration come true of visiting Old Trafford and there he even met his compatriot, the national team player then at the club at the time.
He inked the club badge on his brow at a later date as a protest against the court decisions and in his closing chapter it became ever tougher for him to continue his legal battle. Employment was hard to find and he lost his mother to the pandemic. But against the odds, he persevered. By birth a Catholic, he got baptised in an religious institution under the name the identity he sought. “At least God will know me with my real name,” he used to say.
This Monday, 13 October, his heart stopped beating. It is possible that Manchester United’s determined supporter could finally find peace.
