SUNDERLAND FC has topped the league for the biggest increase in income in the Premiership.

In season 1999-2000, the club recorded a 55 per cent growth in income as it returned to the Premier League and reaped the benefits of an extended stadium.

The club's success was reported in the Deloitte and Touche annual review of football finance, which showed that English football has become a billion-pound business but many clubs are struggling to stay out of the red.

Sunderland was the only North-East Premiership club to return a pre-tax profit, raising funds of £418m, while others all recorded loses.

Its massive leap in income was in part due to its high match attendance, with an average of 40,495 fans paying to watch the team play. Although the club had the biggest increase in profit, it spent the least of the North-East clubs - with only £22m outgoing on players and other expenses.

In comparison, Middlesbrough spent £31.9m on transfers and recorded just the 12th highest turnover in the league with £27m.

Income for the Premier League grew by £128m to £1.078bn last season, making it the first football league in the world to break the billion barrier.

But after transfer costs, profit on sale of players and finance costs, the Premier League recorded a £34.5m pre-tax loss. It compares with £13.7m profit for the season 1998-1999. Gerry Boon, head of Deloitte and Touche Sport, said: "There is one over-riding business imperative for the next few years - on wages and transfers, spend what you can afford."

Like other North-East clubs, Newcastle recorded pre-tax losses but scored sixth place with match attendance with 36,311 people on average attending each match.