She has become a familiar face to Norwich City fans with her scarf waving antics, but for long-term Canary Jill Dann the club provides much-needed relief.

The 81-year-old supporter, who has had a season ticket in the Geoffrey Watling City Stand for 43 years, was diagnosed with breast cancer 15 years ago.

Having received treatment at the time, Mrs Dann has now been told the cancer has come back into her bones and is incurable.

But the Norwich fanatic, who was recently captured whirling her scarf near Teemu Pukki as he celebrated his goal against Southampton, is not letting the disease get her down.

Mrs Dann said: "Going to the football means I can forget it. It hit me hard when I first found out it is treatable but not curable. I am a positive person.

"I need to get on with life and I must admit, football is the main thing that gets me through. I am not thinking of myself, I am watching the ball.

"If we win I will talk to my husband Brian, but if we lose, we do not talk!"

Mrs Dann and her 82-year-old husband live together at Sentinel House in Surrey Street, the former Norwich Union office where they worked.

The couple, who lived in Sprowston for 50 years, have been married for 61 years with former Norwich City commentator and Norwich Union colleague Roy Waller attending their wedding.

But despite their blossoming marriage, Mrs Dann's husband is banned from going to the football with her.

"I won't go with him as he will moan," she said.

Her love for the Canaries began when her son was chosen to be a ball boy at Carrow Road for an FA Cup fixture against West Brom.

Behind closed doors fixtures during the Covid period aside, she has not missed a home game for over 40 years.

Her favourite memory as a Norwich fan was attending the play-off final win at Wembley with her grandchildren.

And as well as meeting the likes of Delia Smith and Bryan Gunn, she also has a personalised brick built into the stand.

'That made me laugh'

The photo of Mrs Dann celebrating beside the pitch as Pukki clenches his fists in celebration has been widely shared in this newspaper and on social media.

But for Mrs Dann herself, the photo came as a surprise.

"That made me laugh, but to be quite honest, I thought to myself 'Jill you do not look very happy'," she said.

"I think I was worrying that day. They did not catch me with my mouth open!"

She has previously been snapped celebrating a Darren Huckerby goal next to Bryan Gunn's wife Susan and Angus when he was a child.

"Susan was sitting behind me and beside her is Angus as little boy," Mrs Dann said.

"He put his hands over his ears as he did not like all the noise of the crowd."