'Our role is integral to football's future' - football oversight chief the new chairman
Sheffield Wednesday's ongoing struggles represent a a "serious issue" and the football regulator is seeking powers to investigate clubs in such situations, the newly appointed chairman the regulator has stated.
In a wide-ranging interview, Kogan, who was named to the position this week, expressed "sympathy" towards the club's followers.
The chairman convened with four fan organizations connected to the football team recently.
The Championship side have been experiencing difficulties in multiple areas in this season, with the club delaying salary disbursements on five separate occasions, including in the autumn.
"Clearly Sheffield Wednesday has been a major concern for the league and a major challenge for the sport," the regulator explained.
"The club represents one of the historic institutions for football in England and in recent days we have met Sheffield Wednesday supporters' groups.
"We are seeking authority... which will permit us to bring the club and similar situations referred to us if they require examination and dealt with."
Monetary Issues and Ownership Situation
The team's struggling chairman the current owner indicated in the summer he would be open to selling the club at Hillsborough, but he has not been able to secure a deal with potential new owners.
Failure to pay player wages on time in March and May caused limitations by the English Football League (EFL) in June, blocking the team from conducting any transfers or loans for the next three transfer windows, although those limitations were removed in August.
Regulator's Perspective
The regulator explained: "Our role exists to serve the Owls followers, teams facing challenges where fans are dedicated to a community organization that has represented their community in numerous instances.
"I fully appreciate the club's situation, as I do for each organization that since 1992 have gone to the wall, or approached financial ruin, for causes separate from the followers."
When asked if the regulator could force an owner to sell a club if they are judged inappropriate, the regulator answered: "If your question is 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the answer is once we collect the information and understand the situation, we will."
But Kogan stressed that forcing owners to sell clubs would be considered the final option and the authority would rather to work with them.
"The final option we would consider is start getting involved with an particular organization, an specific proprietor, without being able to work with that chairman to fix the problems affecting the organization and the owner's facing," Kogan said.
"But the truth is, when you review the record of football, over the last 20 or 30 years there have been some owners, a small minority, but certain individuals who have acted carelessly in the approach they have taken toward their teams and eventually don't wish to take responsibility for the long-term prospects."
Owls fans have been protesting against the team's chairman this season
'If we get it wrong, extraordinary progress vanishes'
The regulator engaged representatives from 110 clubs to explain the responsibilities of the regulator on Wednesday and stated it constituted a "forward-thinking discussion" with a "high level of engagement" from the National League to the Premier League.
"This position carries substantial significance, because if we get it wrong, if the football community fails, the significant advances achieved could disappear rapidly," the regulator warned.
"Such an outcome is universally undesirable in the realm of domestic football is a huge success story - we've got to keep it going.
"Substantial financial resources entering the sport and has come into football for the last 20 or 25 years, because there are no assurances it will persist in entering the game, which is among the factors explaining I think we have to take a really clear view on potential dangers and naturally, of the immediate future."
Elite Division Worries
Elite division representatives objected to 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 prosperity and expansion as an commercial operation of the Premier League.
"As someone who appreciates the apprehension regarding damaging the Premier League as a premium product of England. But simultaneously, if you engage with division representatives after the recent gathering, they would have had a significant degree of comfort -and, in fact, they have been telling us in private they have a considerable comfort."
Political Connections
The chairman continues to confront a "full inquiry" by the public appointments commissioner after he disclosed making donations to the Labour Party in recent years.
The official provided financial support for government minister Lisa Nandy's leadership campaign, along with that of the government leader.
"I have fully disclosed my previous political affiliation [with Labour], and that party membership ceased the day the official body endorsed my nomination," the chairman stated.
"I currently have no participation in any sort of politics."
