I Am Called MUFC: This Superfan Who Battled to Alter His Legal Name

Pose the question to any Man United supporter who is older regarding the importance of that fateful day in May 1999, and they'll recount that the occasion was life-altering. It was the evening when last-minute strikes from Sheringham and Solskjær completed an stunning come-from-behind victory in the Champions League final against the German giants at the Camp Nou. It was also, the existence of one United fan in Bulgaria, who recently died at the age of 62, was transformed.

Hopes in a Bygone Era

The fan in question was originally called Marin Zdravkov Levidzhov in his hometown, a place with a tight-knit community. Growing up in a socialist state with a devotion to football, he longed to changing his name to… his beloved club. However, to claim the name of a organization from the Western world was a futile endeavor. If he had attempted to do so prior to the end of communism, he would likely have ended up in jail.

A Vow Made Under Pressure

A decade after the political changes in Bulgaria – on the unforgettable final – Marin's unique aspiration edged closer to fulfillment. Tuning in from home from his modest home in Svishtov and with United trailing, Marin made a promise to himself: if United somehow turned the game around, he would spare no effort 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 next day, Marin visited a lawyer to express his unusual request, thus initiating a difficult fight. Marin’s father, from whom he had learned to support the club, was deceased, and the man in his thirties was living with his mother, taking on various types of work, including as a laborer on a meager daily wage. He was struggling financially, yet his goal turned into a fixation. He quickly turned into the subject of gossip, then was featured globally, but many seasons full of court cases and setbacks in litigation awaited him.

Trademark Issues and Limited Success

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 legal last name. “But I don’t want to be named after a city in England, I want to bear the identity of my cherished club,” Marin stated during proceedings. His fight went on.

Companions in Adversity

Outside of legal proceedings, he was often caring for his feline friends. He had many animals in his garden 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 most famous cats in town. The one he loved most of his close friends' nickname for him? The feline known as Beckham.

Marin bedecked in United gear.

Progress and Integrity

Another victory was secured in court: he was granted the right to append the club name as an legal alternative on his personal papers. But this did not satisfy him. “I will continue until my full name is Manchester United,” he vowed. His tale attracted commercial propositions – a chance 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 inviolable.

Dreams Realized and Lasting Tributes

A documentary followed in that year. The filmmakers turned Marin’s dream of experiencing the Theatre of Dreams and there he even encountered the Bulgarian striker, the forward then at the club at the time.

Marin tattooed the team emblem on his forehead at a later date as a demonstration against the judicial outcomes and in his final years it became increasingly hard for him to persist with his fight. Work was limited and he suffered the death of his mother to Covid-19. But he managed to continue. Originally of Catholic faith, he got baptised in an religious institution under the name his desired full name. “At least God will know me with my true identity,” he used to say.

This Monday, 13 October, his time ran out. It is possible that the club's determined supporter could finally find peace.