Sunderland Football Club was named Business of the Year in the Sunderland Echo Portfolio Business Awards held - appropriately enough - at the Stadium of Light and also picked up the Training Award.

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Niall had hot-footed it back to the stadium on a night which also saw the club collect the Business Tourism of the Year title at the North East England Tourism Awards held at Gateshead's Hilton Hotel.

"I feel as happy as I have ever felt tonight," said the man who has presided over the awakening of Wearside's sleeping giant.

"I am just thrilled that people took up the challenge as much on the non-playing side as they have on the playing side.

"Whether they are selling tickets, whether they are doing the conference and banqueting or whether they are keeping the pitch perfect, they are the people who put Sunderland on the map and they deserve this."

Chief executive Steve Walton collected the trophy from Coun Paul Watson, leader of joint main sponsor Sunderland City Council.

The award topped a remarkable 12 months for the club, which has seen it become the North East's only Premier League side, host graduation ceremonies and sell-out pop concerts – and even stage a funfair.

It came on a night which also saw the Black Cats claim the training award and pick up the Business Tourism Award of the Year at the 2009 North East England Tourism Awards, held at The Hilton Hotel in Gatehsead.

"I am absolutely ecstatic," said Steve.

"In all three awards, the word 'football' was not used that often, as it is about the whole business.

"It has been a fantastic year."

Our judges were in no doubt that the football club was a worthy winner: "It is a business that has been at the heart of the Sunderland community for generations and one that is campaigning to bring more national and international focus on to the city," they said.

"It is a well-run business whose owner has an excellent reputation in worldwide business circles, and a chairman who is loved and respected in equal measure."

Gary Hutchinson and Tracey Lesca joined Shirley Gelder, Director of Employer Engagement with sponsor City of Sunderland College, to collect the training award.

"Commitment to training is evident in everything they do," said the judges.

"They believe training is the key to excellence and ensure everyone has the opportunity to further their careers through training.

"Their training programmes are innovative, often groundbreaking and copied by other similar organisations around the country."

"It is all about developing our staff and giving them some and aspirations and goals to work towards," said Gary.

"There is still a lot more work to do, but it is progressing well."