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Inquire of any Man United fan from an earlier generation concerning the importance of May 26th, 1999, and the answer will be that the date changed them forever. It was the evening when injury-time goals from Sheringham and Solskjær sealed an unbelievable late turnaround in the showpiece event against the German giants at the Camp Nou. Simultaneously, the existence of one loyal follower in Bulgaria, who passed away at the 62 years old, took a new direction.

Aspirations Under Communism

The fan in question was given the name Marin Levidzhov in Svishtov, a place with a tight-knit community. Living in a socialist state with a devotion to football, he dreamed of legally altering his identity to… his beloved club. However, to claim the name of a football club from the capitalist west was an unattainable goal. Any effort to do so prior to the end of communism, he would likely have been arrested.

A Promise Forged in Drama

A decade after the political changes in Bulgaria – on the unforgettable final – Marin's unique aspiration edged closer to reality. Tuning in from home from his simple residence in Svishtov and with United trailing, Marin swore an oath to himself: if United somehow turned the game around, he would do anything to become known as that of the object of his devotion. 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 consulted an attorney to express his unusual request, thus beginning a long, hard battle. The parent who inspired him, from whom he had learned to support the club, was deceased, and the 36-year-old was caring for his parent, working all kinds of odd jobs, including as a builder on £15 a day. He was hardly making ends meet, yet his aspiration grew into a mania. He soon became the local celebrity, then gained worldwide attention, but a decade and a half full of legal battles and disheartening court decisions lay ahead.

Copyright Hurdles and Partial Victories

His request was rejected initially for trademark concerns: he was barred from using the title of a trademark known around the globe. Then a presiding magistrate granted a limited approval, saying Marin could modify his forename to Manchester but that he was could not adopt the second part as his legal last name. “However, I desire to be identified with an urban area in the UK, I want to carry the title of my favourite football club,” Marin told the court. His fight went on.

His Beloved Cats

When not in court, he was often looking after his cats. He had many animals in his back yard in Svishtov and cherished them equally with the Red Devils. He christened them after team stars: such as Vidic and others, they were the most famous cats in town. Which was the favourite cat of the name they used? The feline known as Beckham.

Marin bedecked in United gear.

Progress and Integrity

He achieved a further success in court: he was granted the right to append the club name as an legal alternative on his personal papers. But still he wasn’t happy. “My efforts will persist until my complete identity is the club's title,” he promised. His narrative resulted in commercial propositions – a chance to have supporters' goods branded with his legal name – but although he was in need, he rejected the opportunity because he was unwilling to gain financially from his adored institution. The Manchester United name was sacred to him.

Dreams Realized and Lasting Tributes

A documentary followed in 2011. The crew made his aspiration come true of seeing the iconic stadium and there he even encountered his compatriot, the national team player playing for United at the time.

Permanently marked the club badge on his forehead three years later as a protest against the legal rulings and in his closing chapter it became increasingly hard for him to keep up the struggle. Work was limited and he lost his mother to the pandemic. But somehow, he found a way. By birth a Catholic, he got baptised in an orthodox church under the name Manchester United Zdravkov Levidzhov. “At least God will know me with my chosen name,” he used to say.

This Monday, 13 October, his heart stopped beating. Maybe at last Manchester United’s persistent fan could at last be at rest.