'We will play a key role in football's future' - independent football regulator the regulator's chair
The Championship club's current difficulties are seen as a "major concern" and the independent regulator is seeking powers to look into club affairs in such situations, its new chair the official has declared.
In a wide-ranging interview, the chairman, who was appointed on Monday, voiced concern towards supporters of the Owls.
Kogan met with four supporters' associations connected to the football team recently.
The Championship side have been struggling on and off the field in the current year, with the club missing wage payments on five separate occasions, including in the autumn.
"Evidently Wednesday represents a significant problem for EFL and a major challenge for the sport," the chairman stated.
"Wednesday stands as one of the iconic names for the English game 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 submitted for our review if they warrant scrutiny and dealt with."
Monetary Issues and Leadership Concerns
The team's struggling chairman the Thai businessman indicated in the summer he would be open to selling the club at the stadium, but he has failed to complete a sale with prospective buyers.
Delayed salary payments on time in spring months resulted in restrictions being imposed by the football authorities in mid-year, stopping Wednesday from completing any recruitment activities for the next three transfer windows, although the ban was rescinded in August.
Authority's Position
Kogan said: "Our role exists to serve the fans of Sheffield Wednesday, other clubs in similar situations where fans are dedicated to a regional establishment that has existed throughout their lifetimes in many cases.
"I fully appreciate the team's plight, as I do for all the clubs that in modern times have encountered failure, or been close to going to the wall, for reasons that have nothing to do with the followers."
Questioned about whether the regulator could force an proprietor to divest a club if they are judged inappropriate, the regulator answered: "When asking whether 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the reply is once we assemble the facts and know what's going on, we will."
But the chairman emphasized that forcing owners to sell clubs would be treated as a "last resort" and the oversight body would choose to work with them.
"The final option we would consider is commence engagement with an individual club, an particular chairman, without having the opportunity to collaborate with that chairman to fix the issues that the club's facing and the chairman's encountering," the chairman stated.
"In actuality, when you examine the past of the sport, over the recent generations there have been some owners, few in number, but some who have been irresponsible in the manner they have operated their clubs and ultimately refuse to accept accountability for the long-term prospects."
Wednesday followers have been voicing opposition to the team's chairman in recent months
'Errors may undo substantial development'
Kogan met with delegates from multiple organizations to lay out the remit of the authority recently and insisted it was a "forward-thinking discussion" with a "substantial involvement" from the National League to the Premier League.
"This position carries substantial significance, because if we get it wrong, if the sport makes errors, the significant advances achieved could disappear rapidly," the chairman stated.
"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 invested for the recent generations, because certainty is lacking it will persist in entering the game, which is among the factors explaining I think we have to maintain a focused outlook on potential dangers and naturally, of the next two or three years."
Elite Division Worries
Elite division representatives objected to the creation of a regulator because of apprehensions regarding adverse consequences on the Premier League's sporting equality, but the regulator stated: "I completely endorse the success and growth as an economic entity of the Premier League.
"As someone who appreciates the worry about compromising the division as a high-quality offering of this country. But at the same time, if you talk to the Premier League after this week's discussion, they would have had a substantial amount of confidence -and, in fact, they have been informing us confidentially they have a significant confidence."
Ideological Links
The regulator remains subject to a "thorough examination" by the official appointments authority after he disclosed making donations to the Labour Party in the past.
The official donated money to Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Lisa Nandy's leadership campaign, along with that of the government leader.
"I have been entirely transparent regarding my former ideological connection [with Labour], and that political affiliation came to an end the day the select committee approved my appointment," the regulator explained.
"I am presently disconnected from any sort of politics."
