My Name Is Man Utd: The Superfan Who Fought to Change His Legal Name

Inquire of any Manchester United devotee of a certain age regarding the meaning of 26 May 1999, and the answer will be that the date left an indelible mark. It was the moment when dramatic late goals from Teddy Sheringham and Solskjær secured an unbelievable 2-1 comeback in the Champions League final against the German giants at the famous Barcelona stadium. Simultaneously, the life of one United fan in Bulgaria, who passed away at the age of 62, was transformed.

A Dream Born in Communist Bulgaria

This individual was originally called Marin Levidzhov in his hometown, a settlement with a population of 22,000. Growing up in a socialist state with a devotion to football, he dreamed of legally altering his identity to… Manchester United. However, to adopt the name of a sports team from the capitalist west was a futile endeavor. If he had attempted to do so before the fall of the regime, he would almost certainly have ended up in jail.

A Vow Made Under Pressure

Ten years after the end of communism in Bulgaria – on the historic evening – Marin's personal goal edged closer to fulfillment. Watching the final from his modest home in Svishtov and with his team losing, Marin made a promise to himself: in the event of a reversal, he would go to any lengths to change his name that of the object of his devotion. Then, against all odds, it transpired.

He realized his ambition to see the Theatre of Dreams.

The Long Legal Battle

The following morning, Marin consulted an attorney to present his unique case, 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 living with his mother, working all kinds of odd jobs, including as a construction worker on minimal earnings. He was barely getting by, yet his aspiration grew into a mania. He rapidly evolved into the subject of gossip, then was featured globally, but 15 years full of court cases and setbacks in litigation lay ahead.

Trademark Issues and Limited Success

His request was rejected initially for intellectual property issues: he was not permitted to adopt the name of a trademark known around the globe. Then a court official ruled partially in his favour, saying Marin could change his first name to Manchester but that he was prohibited from using the second part as his legal last name. “Yet my aim is to be named after a city in England, I want to bear the identity of my cherished club,” Marin told the court. His fight went on.

A Life with Feline Friends

When not in court, he was often caring for his feline friends. He had plenty of them in his back yard in Svishtov and held them in the same esteem as the Red Devils. He gave each one a name after United players: from Rio to Rooney, they were the celebrity pets in town. The one he loved most of Man U? One named after David Beckham.

He was often seen in full club regalia.

Breakthroughs and Principles

He achieved a further success in court: he was granted the right to append United as an recognized alias on his ID card. But he remained dissatisfied. “My efforts will persist until my full name is the club's title,” he vowed. His story soon led to financial opportunities – an offer to have fan merchandise branded with his legal name – 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 inviolable.

Aspirations Fulfilled and Final Acts

His story was captured in that year. The production team made his aspiration come true of seeing the iconic stadium and there he even encountered his compatriot, the national team player then at the club at the time.

He inked the United crest on his face subsequently as a protest against the judicial outcomes 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 somehow, he found a way. Originally of Catholic faith, he underwent baptism in an Eastern Orthodox church under the name the identity he sought. “At least God will know me with my true identity,” he used to say.

On a recent Monday, his time ran out. Maybe at last Manchester United’s persistent fan could finally find peace.