'Our role is integral to football's future' - football oversight chief the regulator's chair
Sheffield Wednesday's current difficulties represent a a "serious issue" and the new football authority is aiming to acquire authority to investigate clubs in such situations, the newly appointed chairman the regulator has stated.
In a wide-ranging interview, Kogan, who was recently selected, expressed "sympathy" towards the club's followers.
Kogan met with four supporter groups connected to the football team in recent days.
The team have been facing challenges both on and off the pitch in the current year, with the club failing to pay players on time on multiple instances, including in last month.
"Obviously the club has become a serious issue for football authorities and a significant problem for football," the regulator explained.
"Sheffield Wednesday is one of the iconic names for football in England and this week we have met Sheffield Wednesday supporters' groups.
"Our aim is to acquire the ability... which will enable us to take Wednesday and comparable cases brought to our attention if they warrant scrutiny and dealt with."
Monetary Issues and Proprietorship Status
The club's controversial proprietor the current owner indicated in the summer he would be willing to sell up at the stadium, but he has not been able to secure a deal with prospective buyers.
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 subsequent signing windows, although those limitations were removed in the end of the transfer window.
Regulator's Perspective
The chairman stated: "The job [of the regulator] is there for the Owls followers, other clubs in similar situations where people are committed to a community organization that has been part of their lives in many cases.
"I have absolute sympathy for the club's situation, as I do for every team that over recent decades have faced collapse, or been close to going to the wall, for reasons that have nothing to do with the fans themselves."
Questioned about whether the authority might compel an proprietor to divest a club if they are judged inappropriate, the chairman responded: "Should the inquiry concern 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the answer is once we collect the information and know what's going on, we will."
But the regulator clarified that forcing owners to sell clubs would be viewed as the ultimate measure and the oversight body would choose to collaborate with owners.
"The last thing what we want to do is commence engagement with an specific team, an specific proprietor, without being able to work with that owner to try and resolve the issues that the club's facing and the proprietor's dealing with," the chairman stated.
"But the truth is, when you review the record of the game, over the past few decades there have been certain proprietors, a small minority, but certain individuals who have acted carelessly in the manner they have operated their clubs and ultimately don't wish to take responsibility for the future."
Wednesday followers have been voicing opposition to the current proprietor in recent months
'Errors may undo substantial development'
The regulator engaged officials from numerous teams to lay out the remit of the oversight body this week and stated it constituted a "progressive gathering" with a "substantial involvement" from the lower divisions to the top flight.
"It's a job that's actually really important, because if we get it wrong, if the sport makes errors, the significant advances achieved necessary will vanish rapidly," the regulator warned.
"And that's what nobody wants in the context of the English game is a huge success story - we need to continue the progress.
"There's an enormous amount of money entering the sport and has been invested for the past two decades, because there's no guarantee it will keep flowing into the sport, which is part of the rationale behind I think we have to adopt a precise perspective on challenges and obviously, of the coming seasons."
Top Flight Apprehensions
Top flight officials resisted the formation of an authority because of apprehensions regarding adverse consequences on the top-flight's competitiveness, but the chairman responded: "I'm absolutely committed to the prosperity and expansion as an economic entity of the elite league.
"Being fully aware of the concern of undermining the top flight as an elite competition of England. But simultaneously, if you consult with top flight officials after today's meeting, they would have had a high level of reassurance -and, actually, they have been advising us privately they have a significant confidence."
Political Connections
The regulator remains subject to a "thorough examination" by the public appointments commissioner after he acknowledged providing funds to the political party in recent years.
The chairman provided financial support for Culture Secretary the minister's leadership bid, along with that of the government leader.
"I've been completely open about my previous political affiliation [with Labour], and that ideological connection terminated the day the select committee approved my appointment," the chairman stated.
"I currently have no participation in any form of political activity."
