'We will play a key role in football's future' - independent football regulator David Kogan
Sheffield Wednesday's ongoing struggles represent a a "serious issue" and the new football authority is seeking powers to look into club affairs in similar circumstances, the newly appointed chairman the official has announced.
In a wide-ranging interview, the chairman, who was named to the position this week, showed understanding towards Wednesday's fanbase.
Kogan met with four supporters' associations representing the Championship side this week.
The football club have been struggling on and off the field in this season, with the club failing to pay players on time on five separate occasions, including in September.
"Evidently Wednesday represents a major concern for the league and a major challenge for the sport," Kogan told.
"Wednesday stands as one of the historic institutions for the English game and in recent days we have met supporters' organizations.
"We are seeking authority... which will permit us to bring Wednesday and comparable cases referred to us if they need to be investigated and addressed."
Monetary Issues and Proprietorship Status
Wednesday's embattled owner the current owner suggested earlier this year he would be open to selling the club at Hillsborough, but he has not been able to secure a deal with potential new owners.
Missed wage deadlines on time in March and May led to sanctions by the English Football League (EFL) in June, preventing the club from carrying out any recruitment activities for the next three transfer windows, although that restriction was lifted in August.
Regulator's Perspective
Kogan said: "The position was created for the fans of Sheffield Wednesday, Bury or any football club where people are committed to a community organization that has represented their community in multiple situations.
"I completely understand Sheffield Wednesday, as I do for every team that since 1992 have gone to the wall, or approached financial ruin, for factors unrelated to the fans themselves."
Inquired if the authority might compel an chairman to relinquish a club if they are deemed unsuitable, the chairman responded: "Should the inquiry concern 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the reply is once we assemble the facts and comprehend the circumstances, we will."
But the regulator clarified that forcing owners to sell clubs would be considered the final option and the regulator would prefer to cooperate with proprietors.
"The last thing what we want to do is begin intervening in an individual club, an particular chairman, without having the opportunity to collaborate with that proprietor to address the challenges confronting the team and the proprietor's dealing with," the regulator explained.
"However, realistically, when you look back over the history of the game, over the last 20 or 30 years there have been some owners, a small minority, but particular people who have shown negligence in the approach they have taken toward their clubs and ultimately refuse to accept accountability for the future."
Owls fans have been voicing opposition to the current proprietor this season
'If we get it wrong, extraordinary progress vanishes'
The chairman convened with representatives from 110 clubs to explain the responsibilities of the regulator on Wednesday and maintained it represented a "progressive gathering" with a "high level of engagement" from the National League to the Premier League.
"It's a job that's actually really important, because should mistakes occur, if the sport makes errors, the extraordinary progress that's been made necessary will vanish rapidly," the regulator warned.
"And that's what nobody wants in the terms of English football is a huge success story - we've got to keep it going.
"There's an enormous amount of money entering the sport and has been channeled for the past two decades, because there's no guarantee it will continue to come into football, which is among the factors explaining I think we have to take a really clear view on challenges and obviously, 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'm absolutely committed to the prosperity and expansion as an financial organization of the elite league.
"As someone who appreciates the concern of undermining the division as a high-quality offering of the nation. But simultaneously, if you consult with top flight officials after the recent gathering, they would have had a significant degree of comfort -and, actually, they have been informing us confidentially they have a significant confidence."
Ideological Links
The chairman continues to confront a "comprehensive investigation" by the Commissioner for Public Appointments after he disclosed making donations to the Labour Party in recent years.
The 68-year-old contributed funds to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy's leadership campaign, along with that of the current Prime Minister.
"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 am no longer involved in any type of partisan engagement."
