I Am Called MUFC: This Die-Hard Supporter Who Fought to Change His Legal Name
Inquire of any United devotee who is older regarding the significance of that fateful day in May 1999, and they'll recount that the occasion left an indelible mark. It was the night when injury-time goals from Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjær completed an incredible 2-1 comeback in the European Cup final against the German giants at the famous Barcelona stadium. Simultaneously, the life of one devoted supporter in Bulgaria, who has died at the age of 62, took a new direction.
A Dream Born in Communist Bulgaria
The fan in question was originally called Marin Levidzhov in Svishtov, a settlement with a tight-knit community. Growing up in the former Eastern Bloc with a devotion to football, he longed to changing his name to… his beloved club. Yet, to adopt the name of a sports team from the capitalist west was mission impossible. Any effort to do so during the socialist era, he would almost certainly have ended up in jail.
A Promise Forged in Drama
A decade after the end of communism in Bulgaria – on the unforgettable final – Marin's idiosyncratic dream moved nearer to fulfillment. Tuning in from home from his humble abode in Svishtov and with the score against them, Marin made a promise to himself: should his team mount a comeback, he would do anything to become known as that of the team he adored. Then, against all odds, it transpired.
He realized his ambition to see the Theatre of Dreams.
A Protracted Court Struggle
The following morning, Marin sought legal counsel to express his unusual request, thus starting a grueling process. His dad, from whom he had gained his fandom, was no longer alive, and the 36-year-old was caring for his parent, working all kinds of odd jobs, including as a builder on £15 a day. He was barely getting by, yet his aspiration grew into a mania. He soon became the local celebrity, then gained worldwide attention, but a decade and a half full of legal battles and setbacks in litigation awaited him.
Copyright Hurdles and Partial Victories
His request was turned down at first for intellectual property issues: he was barred from using the title of a trademark known around the globe. Then a court official allowed a compromise, saying Marin could alter his given name to the city name but that he was not to use the second part as his legal last name. “Yet my aim is to be associated with just a place in England, I want to carry the title of my cherished club,” Marin told the court. The struggle continued.
A Life with Feline Friends
During breaks from litigation, 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 named them all after United players: such as Vidic and others, 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.
His attire consistently showed his allegiance.
Advances and Ethics
He achieved a further success in court: he was granted the right to append United as an official nickname on his personal papers. But this did not satisfy him. “My efforts will persist until my entire name is the club's title,” he declared. His narrative resulted in commercial propositions – a proposal to have supporters' goods produced under his new name – but although he was in need, he declined the proposal because he did not want to profit from his favourite club. The team's title was inviolable.
Aspirations Fulfilled and Final Acts
A film was made in that year. The crew made his aspiration come true of experiencing the Theatre of Dreams and there he even had the chance to see Dimitar Berbatov, the forward on the team's roster at the time.
He inked the team emblem on his forehead three years later as a objection to the judicial outcomes and in his final years it became ever tougher for him to persist with his fight. Work was limited and he suffered the death of his mother to the pandemic. But somehow, he found a way. Born as a Catholic, he underwent baptism in an orthodox church under the name the identity he sought. “Ultimately, my true name is recognized with my real name,” he would frequently remark.
This Monday, 13 October, his life came to an end. Perhaps now the club's persistent fan could achieve eternal tranquility.
