Heartbroken mum pays tribute to 'amazing' NUFC fan who tragically died in her sleep aged 17; Newcastle United fan Billie-Jo Allen has been described as a 'real life angel' -and her family hope the Toon Army will help celebrate her life.

Byline: By, Katie Anderson

Tributes have poured in for a teenage Newcastle United fan, described as a "real life angel", who passed away unexpectedly in her sleep.

"Lovely and bubbly" 17-year-old Billie-Jo Allen was a passionate Magpies fan who would regularly attend matches at St James' Park.

Her mum, Joanne Allen, said: "Her death was totally sudden and unexpected, it's absolutely devastating and our whole family and town can't believe it."

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Her mum, Joanne Allen, said: "Her death was totally sudden and unexpected, it's absolutely devastating and our whole family and town can't believe it."

Her devastated family are now calling for a round of applause from fans at St James' Park during the 17th minute of Newcastle's match against Everton on February 8, to celebrate her life.

Joanne, who grew up in Battle Hill but now lives in Egremont in Cumbria with her family, added: "She absolutely loved going to the games and was a true fan, so to have thousands of Geordie supporters applauding my little girl would be amazing.

"She was so happy the last time we saw a match in November. We'd come into Newcastle to finish our Christmas shopping, and she knew we were playing a home match, so she pleaded with me to get tickets."

Billie-Jo was "very poorly her whole life", living with chronic lung disease and undergoing brain surgery as a child. However, it is not believed any of her underlying health conditions contributed to her death.

Joanne explained that Billie-Jo "never complained about being in hospital" and was "brave, kind and good" the whole way through her...

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