I Am Called MUFC: The Superfan Who Struggled to Alter His Name
Ask any Man United supporter from an earlier generation regarding the significance of May 26th, 1999, and the answer will be that the occasion was life-altering. It was the evening when injury-time goals from Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjær sealed an incredible come-from-behind victory in the showpiece event against Bayern Munich at the famous Barcelona stadium. That same night, the existence of one loyal follower in Bulgaria, who has died at the age of 62, changed forever.
A Dream Born in Communist Bulgaria
This individual was given the name Marin Zdravkov Levidzhov in his hometown, a community with a modest number of residents. Living in a socialist state with a love of football, he dreamed of changing his name to… his beloved club. But, to take the name of a organization from the capitalist west was mission impossible. If he had attempted to do so during the socialist era, he would almost certainly have been arrested.
A Promise Forged in Drama
Many seasons after the fall of the regime in Bulgaria – on that night in May 1999 – Marin's idiosyncratic dream edged closer to achievement. Tuning in from home from his simple residence in Svishtov and with the score against them, Marin vowed to himself: should his team mount a comeback, he would do anything to change his name that of the club he loved. Then, a miracle occurred.
Marin fulfils his dream of visiting Old Trafford.
A Protracted Court Struggle
The following morning, Marin consulted an attorney to express his unusual request, thus beginning a long, hard battle. 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 minimal earnings. He was struggling financially, yet his dream became an obsession. He soon became the talk of the town, then became an international sensation, but 15 years full of judicial disputes and discouraging rulings were to come.
Copyright Hurdles and Partial Victories
Marin’s wish was denied early on for intellectual property issues: he was barred from using the title of a internationally recognized entity. Then a local judge granted a limited approval, saying Marin could modify his forename to the city name but that he was could not adopt United as his official surname. “But I don’t want to be associated with just a place in Britain, I want to wear the name of my favourite football club,” Marin informed the judge. The struggle continued.
His Beloved Cats
When not in court, he was often caring for his feline friends. He had plenty of them in his garden in Svishtov and cherished them equally with the his team. He gave each one a name after team stars: including Ferdinand and Rooney, they were the best-known felines in town. Who was his preferred pet of the name they used? A kitty called Beckham.
Marin bedecked in United gear.
Advances and Ethics
Marin managed another breakthrough in court: he was permitted to include United as an legal alternative on his ID card. But this did not satisfy him. “I will continue until my full name is the club's title,” he declared. His narrative resulted in financial opportunities – a chance to have club products made using his identity – but even with his monetary challenges, he declined the proposal because he was unwilling to gain financially from his beloved team. The Manchester United name was sacred to him.
Goals Achieved and Enduring Symbols
A film was made in that year. The filmmakers fulfilled his wish of visiting Old Trafford and there he even encountered the Bulgarian striker, the Bulgaria striker playing for United at the time.
Permanently marked the team emblem on his face subsequently as a protest against the legal rulings and in his last few years it became increasingly hard for him to continue his legal battle. Job opportunities were scarce and he suffered the death of his mother to Covid-19. But against the odds, he persevered. Originally of Catholic faith, he was christened in an orthodox church under the name Manchester United Zdravkov Levidzhov. “At least God will know me with my real name,” he often stated.
On a recent Monday, his time ran out. Maybe at last the club's persistent fan could achieve eternal tranquility.
