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Inquire of any Man United supporter of a certain age concerning the importance of May 26th, 1999, and the answer will be that the date was life-altering. It was the moment when injury-time goals from Teddy Sheringham and Solskjær completed an unbelievable come-from-behind victory in the showpiece event against the German giants at the Camp Nou. Simultaneously, the world of one United fan in Eastern Europe, who passed away at the 62 years old, changed forever.

Aspirations Under Communism

This individual was originally called Marin Levidzhov in his hometown, a place with a tight-knit community. Living in a socialist state with a passion for football, he dreamed of adopting a new name to… his beloved club. Yet, to adopt the name of a sports team from the other side of the Iron Curtain was mission impossible. If he had attempted to do so during the socialist era, he would likely have been arrested.

A Promise Forged in Drama

Ten years after the political changes in Bulgaria – on the unforgettable final – Marin's personal goal moved nearer to reality. Viewing the match from his simple residence in Svishtov and with his team losing, Marin made a promise to himself: should his team mount a comeback, he would go to any lengths to legally adopt the name that of the object of his devotion. Then, the impossible happened.

Marin fulfils his dream of visiting Old Trafford.

Years of Judicial Challenges

The next day, Marin visited a lawyer to state his extraordinary desire, thus beginning a long, hard battle. Marin’s father, from whom he had learned to support the club, was long gone, and the man in his thirties was caring for his parent, employed in miscellaneous roles, including as a construction worker on a meager daily wage. He was struggling financially, yet his goal turned into a fixation. He soon became the subject of gossip, then was featured globally, but many seasons full of legal battles and setbacks in litigation lay ahead.

Trademark Issues and Limited Success

The application 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 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 associated with just a place in Britain, I want to carry the title of my cherished club,” Marin told the court. His fight went on.

Companions in Adversity

During breaks from litigation, he was often looking after his cats. He had many animals in his back yard in Svishtov and loved them as much as the Manchester United. He christened them after club legends: including Ferdinand and Rooney, they were the most famous cats in town. The one he loved most of Man U? A kitty called Beckham.

His attire consistently showed his allegiance.

Breakthroughs and Principles

Marin managed another breakthrough in court: he was granted the right to append United as an legal alternative on his ID card. 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 financial opportunities – a chance to have supporters' goods branded with his legal name – but even with his monetary challenges, he rejected the opportunity because he was unwilling to gain financially from his adored institution. The Manchester United name was sacred to him.

Aspirations Fulfilled and Final Acts

A documentary followed in 2011. The crew fulfilled his wish of visiting Old Trafford and there he even had the chance to see Dimitar Berbatov, the Bulgaria striker playing for United at the time.

Permanently marked the team emblem on his face at a later date as a demonstration against the judicial outcomes and in his closing chapter it became increasingly hard for him to persist with his fight. Job opportunities were scarce and he lost his mother to the pandemic. But somehow, he found a way. Born as a Catholic, he got baptised in an religious institution under the name his desired full name. “In the eyes of the divine, I am with my real name,” he used to say.

This Monday, 13 October, his time ran out. Perhaps now Manchester United’s persistent fan could at last be at rest.