'We will play a key role in football's future' - football oversight chief the regulator's chair
The Championship club's ongoing struggles constitute a "significant problem" and the independent regulator is aiming to acquire authority to examine team situations in such situations, its new chair the official has announced.
During an extensive discussion, Kogan, who was appointed on Monday, voiced concern towards the club's followers.
Kogan met with four fan organizations associated with the South Yorkshire club this week.
The team have been facing challenges both on and off the pitch in this season, with the club failing to pay players on time on five separate occasions, including in September.
"Obviously the club has become a serious issue for football authorities and a major challenge for the sport," Kogan told.
"Wednesday stands as one of the great brands for the English game and this week we have met fan representatives.
"Our aim is to acquire the ability... which will allow us to have the club and similar situations submitted for our review if they require examination and acted upon."
Monetary Issues and Leadership Concerns
The team's struggling chairman the Thai businessman stated during the off-season he would be willing to sell up at Hillsborough, but he has failed to complete a sale with potential new owners.
Failure to pay player wages on time in spring months led to sanctions by the football authorities in mid-year, 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
The chairman stated: "The job [of the regulator] is there for the fans of Sheffield Wednesday, teams facing challenges where supporters are loyal to a local institution that has been part of their lives in multiple situations.
"I fully appreciate the team's plight, as I do for every team that in modern times have encountered failure, or nearly ceased operations, for factors unrelated to the followers."
When asked if the regulator could force an chairman to relinquish a club if they are judged inappropriate, the regulator answered: "If your question is 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the response would be once we assemble the facts and understand the situation, we will."
But the regulator clarified that compelling proprietors to divest clubs would be treated as a "last resort" and the regulator would prefer to work with them.
"The last thing what we want to do is begin intervening in an individual club, an specific proprietor, without being in a position to cooperate with that owner to try and resolve the problems affecting the organization and the owner's facing," the chairman stated.
"However, realistically, when you look back over the history of football, over the recent generations there have been some owners, few in number, but particular people who have shown negligence in the approach they have taken toward their clubs and ultimately don't wish to take responsibility for the long-term prospects."
Owls fans have been protesting against the current proprietor in recent months
'If we get it wrong, extraordinary progress vanishes'
Kogan met with representatives from 110 clubs to explain the responsibilities of the authority recently and stated it constituted a "forward-thinking discussion" with a "significant participation" from the lower divisions to the top flight.
"The role holds considerable importance, because should mistakes occur, if the football community fails, the extraordinary progress that's been made might evaporate swiftly," Kogan said.
"And that's what nobody wants in the terms of English football is a huge success story - we must maintain momentum.
"There's an enormous amount of money entering the sport and has been invested for the recent generations, because there are no assurances it will continue to come into football, which is among the factors explaining I think we have to take a really clear view on potential dangers and naturally, of the next two or three years."
Premier League Concerns
Top flight officials resisted the formation of an authority because of apprehensions regarding adverse consequences on the elite division's competitive balance, but the chairman responded: "I'm absolutely committed to the prosperity and expansion as an financial organization of the top division.
"I of all people understand the concern of undermining the division as a high-quality offering of England. But at the same time, if you engage with division representatives after this week's discussion, they would have had a high level of reassurance -and, in fact, they have been telling us in private they have a significant confidence."
Political Connections
Kogan is still facing a "thorough examination" by the official appointments authority after he revealed he contributed money to the opposition group in 2020.
The 68-year-old contributed funds to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy's leadership campaign, along with that of the now Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
"I've been completely open about my past party membership [with Labour], and that party membership ceased the day the select committee approved my appointment," the regulator explained.
"I am no longer involved in any type of partisan engagement."
