'We will play a key role in football's future' - newly appointed regulator the regulator's chair
The Championship club's ongoing struggles represent a a "major concern" and the new football authority is seeking powers to examine team situations in similar circumstances, the newly appointed chairman the regulator has declared.
During an extensive discussion, the regulator, who was recently selected, expressed "sympathy" towards the club's followers.
Kogan met with four supporters' associations representing the Championship side in recent days.
The Championship side have been struggling on and off the field in the current year, with the club failing to pay players on time on several different times, including in September.
"Clearly Sheffield Wednesday has been a serious issue for football authorities and a significant problem for football," the chairman stated.
"Wednesday stands as one of the great brands for English football and in recent days we have met Sheffield Wednesday supporters' groups.
"Our aim is to acquire the ability... which will allow us to have the club and similar situations brought to our attention if they need to be investigated and acted upon."
Economic Challenges and Proprietorship Status
The club's controversial proprietor the Thai businessman stated during the off-season he would be prepared to relinquish control at their home ground, but he has been unable to finalize an agreement with interested parties.
Missed wage deadlines on time in earlier this year led to sanctions by the football authorities in June, stopping Wednesday from completing any transfers or loans for the subsequent signing windows, although that restriction was lifted in the end of the transfer window.
Authority's Position
Kogan said: "Our role exists to serve the fans of Sheffield Wednesday, teams facing challenges where supporters are loyal to a community organization that has been part of their lives in numerous instances.
"I have absolute sympathy for Sheffield Wednesday, as I do for each organization that since 1992 have gone to the wall, or nearly ceased operations, for reasons that have nothing to do with the supporters."
Inquired if the oversight body could require an chairman to relinquish a club if they are judged inappropriate, the chairman responded: "Should the inquiry concern 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the reply is once we assemble the facts and know what's going on, we will."
But Kogan stressed that compelling proprietors to divest clubs would be treated as a "last resort" and the authority would rather to collaborate with owners.
"The last thing what we want to do is begin intervening in an individual club, an specific proprietor, without having the opportunity to collaborate with that owner to try and resolve the problems affecting the organization and the proprietor's dealing with," the regulator explained.
"However, realistically, when you review the record of the sport, over the past few decades there have been particular chairmen, few in number, but certain individuals who have acted carelessly in the way which they've been managing their organizations and finally don't wish to take responsibility for the future."
Sheffield Wednesday supporters have been demonstrating against the current proprietor in recent months
'If we get it wrong, extraordinary progress vanishes'
The chairman convened with delegates from multiple organizations to detail the scope of the oversight body this week and insisted it was a "forward-thinking discussion" with a "significant participation" from the grassroots to elite level.
"The role holds considerable importance, because if we get it wrong, if the sport makes errors, the extraordinary progress that's been made necessary will vanish rapidly," Kogan said.
"And that's what nobody wants in the context of the English game is a major achievement - we've got to keep it going.
"There's an enormous amount of money coming into football and has been channeled for the last 20 or 25 years, because there's no guarantee it will keep flowing into the sport, which is one of the reasons why I think we have to maintain a focused outlook on challenges and obviously, of the next two or three years."
Premier League Concerns
The Premier League opposed the formation of an authority because of concerns about detrimental effects on the top-flight's competitiveness, but the regulator stated: "I completely endorse the success and growth as an commercial operation of the Premier League.
"Being fully aware of the worry about compromising the top flight as an elite competition of the nation. But at the same time, if you talk to the Premier League after the recent gathering, they would have had a significant degree of comfort -and, in fact, they have been informing us confidentially they have a high level of reassurance."
Ideological Links
The regulator remains subject to a "comprehensive investigation" by the official appointments authority after he disclosed making donations to the opposition group in recent years.
The 68-year-old provided financial support for Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Lisa Nandy's leadership campaign, along with that of the government leader.
"I have fully disclosed my former ideological connection [with Labour], and that party membership ceased the day the select committee approved my appointment," the chairman stated.
"I currently have no participation in any form of political activity."
