Black Cats beauty Michelle Thompson romped to victory in the Sexy Football League – based on Premier League teams – leaving SAFC's biggest rivals in 20th place.

The competition, which attracted hundreds of thousands of votes from football fans, was run by ukfootballfinder, a website for amateur clubs.

Since the Echo reported on Michelle's bid to win the online beauty contest six weeks ago, the 26-year-old stormed up the table to win by a huge margin, with Stoke City second and Everton third.

The former St Anthony's School pupil, from Nora Street, High Barnes, was delighted and thanked everyone who voted for her.

"I was first with over 5,600 votes ahead," she said. "Even the organiser Darren was amazed by all the local support."

Michelle, who was supported by her daughter Charlotte, nine, and mum, Carol, has done modelling, fashion shows and appeared on reality channel Red TV.

By winning the Sexy Football League, Michelle, a recruitment consultant at Temp Team, Frederick Street, has qualified automatically for the Miss UK Football Finder 2009 competition.

Her beauty contest triumph came hot on the heels of a recent study which found Sunderland has some of the best looking fans in the Premier League.

A survey of crowds viewed on high definition television, by Sky TV and a modelling agency, showed that when it comes to fine features and luscious locks, Wearside lads and lasses are way ahead of their North East rivals.

The report named Liverpool as having the hottest fans in the land, with Fulham second, Tottenham third and the Black Cats in fourth place.

Chelsea came fifth, one place above Newcastle. Middlesbrough's supporters did not even make the top 10.