Sunderland AFC said they will 'revise' their plans

The plans to extend the 220-acre academy on to a green field site at Whitburn, were originally rejected by South Tyneside borough council.

The club then appealed and the public inquiry followed - but the government has upheld the objections, which were based on protecting the green belt and how the scheme would look.

Sunderland Football Club said they were "intensely disappointed" by the decision and said they would have to rethink their plans.

John Fickling, the club's vice chairman, told BBC Radio Newcastle he needed to know why the decision had gone against the club before deciding what to do next.

'Hard work'

He said: "We need, first of all, to consider what the Secretary of State's reasons are for the refusal.

"We have not had the opportunity to go into great detail and we need to take that on board and see what our next step is."

Club chairman Bob Murray said: "We are intensely disappointed with the outcome of the appeal.

"We worked very hard throughout the planning process to ensure community and environmental considerations remained paramount."

League relegation

In April, the inquiry heard Sunderland Football Club wanted to extend the academy to include a large indoor sports barn and hostel on land at Whitburn Moor in South Tyneside.

The club, which has been relegated from the Premier League, says the academy is vital to its continued growth.

South Tyneside Council had argued that plans were not appropriate on the green belt area between Sunderland and South Shields.

Sunderland won an initial public inquiry in 1999, when the first phase of the academy was built.