I Am Called Man Utd: The Superfan Who Fought to Alter His Identity
Ask any Man United fan who is older about the importance of 26 May 1999, and the answer will be that the date changed them forever. It was the night when injury-time goals from Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjær secured an stunning late turnaround in the European Cup final against the German giants at the famous Barcelona stadium. Simultaneously, the world of one loyal follower in Bulgaria, who passed away at the age of 62, took a new direction.
A Dream Born in Communist Bulgaria
This individual was originally called Marin Zdravkov Levidzhov in Svishtov, a place with a modest number of residents. Being raised in communist Bulgaria with a passion for football, he dreamed of legally altering his identity to… his beloved club. Yet, to take the name of a organization from the other side of the Iron Curtain was mission impossible. Had Marin tried to do so prior to the end of communism, he would likely have been arrested.
A Commitment Sealed by Fate
Ten years after the end of communism in Bulgaria – on that night in May 1999 – Marin's unique aspiration came one step closer to reality. Tuning in from home from his modest home in Svishtov and with United trailing, Marin vowed to himself: should his team mount a comeback, he would do anything to legally adopt the name that of the club he loved. Then, the impossible happened.
A lifelong wish to walk the halls of the famous stadium came true.
The Long Legal Battle
The following morning, Marin visited a lawyer 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 man in his thirties was caring for his parent, working all kinds of odd jobs, including as a laborer on £15 a day. He was hardly making ends meet, yet his goal turned into a fixation. He rapidly evolved into the talk of the town, then was featured globally, but 15 years full of legal battles and setbacks in litigation were to come.
Legal Obstacles and Small Wins
His request was rejected initially for intellectual property issues: he was not permitted to adopt the name of a internationally recognized entity. Then a presiding magistrate ruled partially in his favour, saying Marin could modify his forename to Manchester but that he was prohibited from using 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 informed the judge. His fight went on.
Companions in Adversity
When not in court, he was often tending to his pets. He had many animals in his outdoor space in Svishtov and held them in the same esteem as the Red Devils. He gave each one a name after team stars: including Ferdinand and Rooney, they were the celebrity pets in town. Who was his preferred pet of Man U? The feline known as Beckham.
His attire consistently showed his allegiance.
Advances and Ethics
Marin managed another breakthrough in court: he was granted the right to append the club name as an recognized alias on his ID card. But he remained dissatisfied. “My efforts will persist until my complete identity is Manchester United,” he promised. His story soon led to commercial propositions – an offer to have fan merchandise branded with his legal name – but even with his monetary challenges, he rejected the opportunity because he was unwilling to gain financially from his favourite club. The club's identity was inviolable.
Aspirations Fulfilled and Final Acts
A documentary followed in that year. The filmmakers made his aspiration come true of visiting Old Trafford and there he even met Dimitar Berbatov, the Bulgaria striker then at the club at the time.
Marin tattooed the team emblem on his brow three years later as a protest against the court decisions and in his closing chapter it became increasingly hard for him to persist with his fight. Work was limited and he lost his mother to the virus. But against the odds, he persevered. Originally of Catholic faith, he underwent baptism in an orthodox church under the name his desired full name. “At least God will know me with my true identity,” he would frequently remark.
This Monday, 13 October, his life came to an end. It is possible that the club's restless soul could achieve eternal tranquility.
