I Go By Man Utd: This Die-Hard Supporter Who Battled to Alter His Identity
Ask any Man United devotee from an earlier generation regarding the significance of that fateful day in May 1999, and they will tell you that the night changed them forever. It was the moment when dramatic late goals from Sheringham and Solskjær completed an stunning late turnaround in the showpiece event against the German giants at the Camp Nou. It was also, the world of one devoted supporter in Eastern Europe, who has died at the 62 years old, changed forever.
A Dream Born in Communist Bulgaria
This individual was born Marin Zdravkov Levidzhov in Svishtov, a place with a population of 22,000. Being raised in communist Bulgaria with a love of football, he dreamed of legally altering his identity to… his beloved club. Yet, to take the name of a sports team from the Western world was mission impossible. If he had attempted to do so prior to the end of communism, he would undoubtedly have been arrested.
A Promise Forged in Drama
Ten years after the political changes in Bulgaria – on the unforgettable final – Marin's unique aspiration came one step closer to fulfillment. Watching the final from his modest home in Svishtov and with United trailing, Marin vowed to himself: if United somehow turned the game around, he would do anything to change his name that of the club he loved. Then, against all odds, it transpired.
A lifelong wish to walk the halls of the famous stadium came true.
Years of Judicial Challenges
The following morning, Marin visited a lawyer to express his unusual request, thus beginning a long, hard battle. The parent who inspired him, from whom he had gained his fandom, was long gone, and the man in his thirties was residing with his mom, taking on various types of work, including as a builder on minimal earnings. He was struggling financially, yet his goal turned into a fixation. He rapidly evolved into the subject of gossip, then gained worldwide attention, but a decade and a half full of court cases and discouraging rulings lay ahead.
Copyright Hurdles and Partial Victories
His request was turned down at first for intellectual property issues: he could not change his name of a world-famous brand. Then a local judge allowed a compromise, saying Marin could change his first name to the city name but that he was could not adopt the second part as his family name. “But I don’t want to be named after a city in England, I want to carry the title of my cherished club,” Marin informed the judge. The struggle continued.
Companions in Adversity
When not in court, 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 club legends: such as Vidic and others, they were the celebrity pets in town. Who was his preferred pet of the name they used? One named after David Beckham.
Marin bedecked in United gear.
Breakthroughs and Principles
Another victory was secured in court: he was allowed to add the club name as an legal alternative on his personal papers. But still he wasn’t happy. “I won’t stop until my entire name is Manchester United,” he declared. His tale attracted commercial propositions – a chance to have club products branded with his legal name – but even with his monetary challenges, he declined the proposal because he was unwilling to gain financially from his favourite club. The team's title was beyond commercial use.
Aspirations Fulfilled and Final Acts
His story was captured in 2011. The crew made his aspiration come true of visiting Old Trafford and there he even encountered Dimitar Berbatov, the national team player playing for United at the time.
He inked the United crest on his brow at a later date as a demonstration against the legal rulings and in his final years it became ever tougher for him to keep up the struggle. Job opportunities were scarce and he lost his mother to the virus. But against the odds, he persevered. By birth a Catholic, 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.
On a recent Monday, his life came to an end. Maybe at last the club's determined supporter could at last be at rest.
