My Name Is Man Utd: The Superfan Who Battled to Alter His Identity

Ask any Man United supporter who is older concerning the importance of that fateful day in May 1999, and they'll recount that the occasion left an indelible mark. It was the moment when dramatic late goals from Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjær sealed an unbelievable late turnaround in the Champions League final against the German giants at the famous Barcelona stadium. That same night, the world of one United fan in Bulgaria, who has died at the age of 62, was transformed.

A Dream Born in Communist Bulgaria

That supporter was originally called Marin Zdravkov Levidzhov in a small Danube town, a settlement with a tight-knit community. Living in a socialist state with a love of football, he longed to legally altering his identity to… Manchester United. However, to take the name of a sports team from the Western world was a futile endeavor. Had Marin tried to do so before the fall of the regime, he would likely have been arrested.

A Vow Made Under Pressure

A decade after the political changes in Bulgaria – on that night in May 1999 – Marin's idiosyncratic dream moved nearer to fulfillment. Tuning in from home from his modest home in Svishtov and with the score against them, Marin made a promise to himself: if United somehow turned the game around, he would do anything to become known as that of the club he loved. Then, a miracle occurred.

He realized his ambition to see the Theatre of Dreams.

A Protracted Court Struggle

A day later, Marin consulted an attorney to present his unique case, thus starting a grueling process. His dad, from whom he had learned to support the club, was deceased, and the 36-year-old was caring for his parent, employed in miscellaneous roles, including as a laborer on a meager daily wage. He was barely getting by, yet his goal turned into a fixation. He soon became the subject of gossip, then was featured globally, but many seasons full of judicial disputes and setbacks in litigation were to come.

Copyright Hurdles and Partial Victories

His request was denied early on for copyright reasons: he was barred from using the title of a internationally recognized entity. Then a presiding magistrate ruled partially in his favour, saying Marin could change his first name to the city name but that he was prohibited from using United as his official surname. “Yet my aim is to be associated with just a place in England, I want to bear the identity of my favourite football club,” Marin stated during proceedings. The battle persisted.

His Beloved Cats

Outside of legal proceedings, he was often tending to his pets. He had plenty of them in his outdoor space in Svishtov and held them in the same esteem as the Red Devils. He gave each one a name after United players: including Ferdinand and Rooney, they were the most famous cats in town. The one he loved most of his close friends' nickname for him? A kitty called Beckham.

Marin bedecked in United gear.

Progress and Integrity

Another victory was secured in court: he was allowed to add the club name as an official nickname on his ID card. But still he wasn’t happy. “I won’t stop until my entire name is as I desire,” he declared. His story soon led to commercial propositions – a chance to have fan merchandise made using his identity – but even with his monetary challenges, he turned down the offer because he did not want to profit from his adored institution. The club's identity was inviolable.

Aspirations Fulfilled and Final Acts

His story was captured in that year. The crew made his aspiration come true of visiting Old Trafford and there he even encountered Dimitar Berbatov, the national team player 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 court decisions and in his last few years it became more and more difficult for him to continue his legal battle. Employment was hard to find and he was bereaved to the virus. But he managed to continue. Born as a Catholic, he was christened in an orthodox church under the name the identity he sought. “At least God will know me with my real name,” he often stated.

This Monday, 13 October, his time ran out. Maybe at last Manchester United’s determined supporter could at last be at rest.