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Ask any United devotee from an earlier generation about the importance of 26 May 1999, and the answer will be that the night changed them forever. It was the night when injury-time goals from Teddy Sheringham and Solskjær sealed an stunning come-from-behind victory in the Champions League final against the German giants at the Camp Nou. Simultaneously, the existence of one loyal follower in Eastern Europe, who recently died at the age of 62, took a new direction.

A Dream Born in Communist Bulgaria

The fan in question was born Marin Zdravkov Levidzhov in a small Danube town, a settlement with a population of 22,000. Being raised in communist Bulgaria with a devotion to football, he longed to adopting a new name to… Manchester United. Yet, to claim the name of a football club from the Western world was a futile endeavor. Any effort to do so prior to the end of communism, he would almost certainly have been arrested.

A Commitment Sealed by Fate

Ten years after the end of communism in Bulgaria – on that night in May 1999 – Marin's idiosyncratic dream moved nearer to achievement. Watching the final from his modest home 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 become known as that of the object of his devotion. Then, against all odds, it transpired.

Marin fulfils his dream of visiting Old Trafford.

A Protracted Court Struggle

The next day, Marin consulted an attorney to present his unique case, thus starting a grueling process. Marin’s father, from whom he had learned to support the club, was long gone, and the man in his thirties was residing with his mom, taking on various types of work, including as a laborer on minimal earnings. He was barely getting by, yet his aspiration grew into a mania. He rapidly evolved into the local celebrity, then became an international sensation, but 15 years full of court cases and setbacks in litigation were to come.

Copyright Hurdles and Partial Victories

His request was rejected initially for trademark concerns: he could not change his name of a world-famous brand. Then a presiding magistrate allowed a compromise, saying Marin could change his first name to Manchester but that he was prohibited from using United as his legal last name. “However, I desire to be identified with an urban area in England, I want to wear the name of my cherished club,” Marin informed the judge. The battle persisted.

Companions in Adversity

During breaks from litigation, he was often tending to his pets. He had plenty of them in his garden in Svishtov and loved them as much as the his team. He christened them after United players: such as Vidic and others, they were the celebrity pets in town. Who was his preferred pet of Man U? One named after David Beckham.

His attire consistently showed his allegiance.

Advances and Ethics

Marin managed another breakthrough in court: he was permitted to include United as an legal alternative on his identification document. But this did not satisfy him. “I won’t stop until my full name is Manchester United,” he vowed. His story soon led to financial opportunities – a chance to have club products produced under his new name – but although he was in need, he declined the proposal because he was unwilling to gain financially from his beloved team. The club's identity was sacred to him.

Aspirations Fulfilled and Final Acts

His story was captured in that year. The production team turned Marin’s dream of experiencing the Theatre of Dreams and there he even had the chance to see Dimitar Berbatov, the national team player then at the club at the time.

Marin tattooed the team emblem on his face subsequently as a demonstration against the legal rulings and in his closing chapter it became more and more difficult for him to persist with his fight. Work was limited and he was bereaved to the virus. But against the odds, he persevered. By birth a Catholic, he got baptised in an religious institution under the name the identity he sought. “Ultimately, my true name is recognized with my real name,” he would frequently remark.

This Monday, 13 October, his life came to an end. Maybe at last the club's determined supporter could achieve eternal tranquility.