'We will play a key role in football's future' - independent football regulator the regulator's chair
Sheffield Wednesday's ongoing struggles are seen as a "significant problem" and the new football authority is looking to gain the ability to investigate clubs in similar circumstances, its new chair the official has stated.
During an extensive discussion, the regulator, who was recently selected, expressed "sympathy" towards the club's followers.
The regulator engaged with four fan organizations associated with the Championship side in recent days.
The Championship side have been facing challenges both on and off the pitch in this season, with the club missing wage payments on five separate occasions, including in September.
"Evidently Wednesday represents a serious issue for football authorities and a significant problem for football," the chairman stated.
"The club represents one of the historic institutions for English football and in recent days we have met Sheffield Wednesday supporters' groups.
"Our aim is to acquire the ability... which will enable us to take Sheffield Wednesday - and other clubs brought to our attention if they require examination and dealt with."
Financial Struggles and Leadership Concerns
The team's struggling chairman Dejphon Chansiri indicated in the summer he would be open to selling the club at the stadium, but he has been unable to finalize an agreement with potential new owners.
Delayed salary payments on time in earlier this year caused limitations by the league officials in June, preventing the club from carrying out any transfers or loans for the subsequent signing windows, although that restriction was lifted in August.
Authority's Position
The chairman stated: "The job [of the regulator] is there for the supporters of Wednesday, teams facing challenges where supporters are loyal to a community organization that has represented their community in multiple situations.
"I have absolute sympathy for Sheffield Wednesday, as I do for each organization that over recent decades have faced collapse, or approached financial ruin, for causes separate from the fans themselves."
Questioned about whether the oversight body could require an chairman to relinquish a club if they are deemed unsuitable, the regulator answered: "Should the inquiry concern 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the reply is once we assemble the facts and understand the situation, we will."
But the regulator clarified that compelling proprietors to divest clubs would be viewed as the ultimate measure and the regulator would prefer to work with them.
"Our least desirable course of action is begin intervening in an specific team, an individual owner, without having the opportunity to collaborate with that proprietor to address the challenges confronting the team and the chairman's encountering," Kogan said.
"However, realistically, when you look back over the history of football, over the last 20 or 30 years there have been certain proprietors, not many, but certain individuals who have acted carelessly in the way which they've been managing their clubs and ultimately don't wish to take responsibility for the long-term prospects."
Wednesday followers have been protesting against the team's chairman in recent months
'Errors may undo substantial development'
Kogan met with officials from numerous teams to lay out the remit of the authority recently and stated it constituted a "progressive gathering" with a "high level of engagement" from the grassroots to elite level.
"The role holds considerable importance, because if we get it wrong, if the football community fails, the extraordinary progress that's been made could disappear swiftly," the regulator warned.
"And that's what nobody wants in the context of the English game is a huge success story - we've got to keep it going.
"There's an enormous amount of money flowing into the game and has been channeled for the past two decades, because there's no guarantee it will keep flowing into the sport, which is among the factors explaining I think we have to adopt a precise perspective on risk and of course, of the next two or three years."
Elite Division Worries
The Premier League opposed the creation of a regulator because of fears of a negative impact on the top-flight's competitiveness, but the regulator stated: "I completely endorse the success and growth as an financial organization of the Premier League.
"I of all people understand the apprehension regarding damaging the division as a high-quality offering of the nation. But at the same time, if you talk to the Premier League after today's meeting, they would have had a high level of reassurance -and, in fact, they have been informing us confidentially they have a high level of reassurance."
Ideological Links
The regulator remains subject to a "full inquiry" by the official appointments authority after he acknowledged providing funds to the political party in the past.
The chairman contributed funds to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy's leadership campaign, along with that of the current Prime Minister.
"I have fully disclosed my previous political affiliation [with Labour], and that ideological connection terminated the day the parliamentary committee confirmed my selection," the chairman stated.
"I am presently disconnected from any sort of politics."
