'We will play a key role in football's future' - football oversight chief the new chairman
Sheffield Wednesday's current difficulties represent a a "significant problem" and the football regulator is seeking powers to examine team situations in similar circumstances, its new chair the regulator has announced.
During an extensive discussion, Kogan, who was named to the position this week, expressed "sympathy" towards the club's followers.
The chairman convened with four fan organizations representing the South Yorkshire club this week.
The Championship side have been facing challenges both on and off the pitch in the current year, with the club missing wage payments on five separate occasions, including in last month.
"Evidently Wednesday represents a significant problem for EFL and a major challenge for the sport," the regulator explained.
"Sheffield Wednesday is one of the great brands for the English game and this week we have met Sheffield Wednesday supporters' groups.
"We're now looking to get powers... which will permit us to bring Wednesday and comparable cases submitted for our review if they warrant scrutiny and dealt with."
Financial Struggles and Leadership Concerns
Wednesday's embattled owner the current owner stated during the off-season he would be willing to sell up at the stadium, but he has not been able to secure a deal with potential new owners.
Delayed salary payments on time in earlier this year led to sanctions by the English Football League (EFL) in June, blocking the team from conducting any transfers or loans for the following recruitment periods, although the ban was rescinded in late summer.
Official's Viewpoint
The chairman stated: "The position was created for the Owls followers, other clubs in similar situations where fans are dedicated to a local institution that has been part of their lives in numerous instances.
"I have absolute sympathy for the team's plight, as I do for every team that since 1992 have gone to the wall, or approached financial ruin, for causes separate from the supporters."
Inquired if the regulator could force an owner to sell 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 gather the evidence and know what's going on, we will."
But the chairman emphasized that forcing owners to sell clubs would be viewed as the ultimate measure and the oversight body would choose to cooperate with proprietors.
"Our least desirable course of action is begin intervening in an individual club, an particular chairman, without having the opportunity to collaborate with that owner to try and resolve the issues that the club's facing and the chairman's encountering," the chairman stated.
"In actuality, when you look back over the history of the sport, over the last 20 or 30 years there have been certain proprietors, a small minority, but some who have been irresponsible in the approach they have taken toward their organizations and finally don't wish to take responsibility for the coming years."
Owls fans have been demonstrating against the team's chairman in recent months
'Errors may undo substantial development'
The chairman convened with representatives from 110 clubs to lay out the remit of the regulator on Wednesday and maintained it represented a "forward-thinking discussion" with a "substantial involvement" from the grassroots to elite level.
"This position carries substantial significance, because should mistakes occur, if the football community fails, the extraordinary progress that's been made could disappear incredibly quickly," Kogan said.
"Such an outcome is universally undesirable in the terms of English football is a huge success story - we must maintain momentum.
"Considerable investment coming into football and has been invested for the last 20 or 25 years, because there are no assurances it will continue to come into football, which is one of the reasons why I think we have to adopt a precise perspective on risk and of course, of the immediate future."
Top Flight Apprehensions
The Premier League opposed the establishment of an oversight body because of concerns about detrimental effects on the top-flight's competitiveness, but Kogan said: "I completely endorse the success and growth as an economic entity of the Premier League.
"I of all people understand the worry about compromising the top flight as an elite competition of this country. 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, actually, they have been informing us confidentially they have a considerable comfort."
Political Connections
The regulator remains subject to a "comprehensive investigation" by the public appointments commissioner after he revealed he contributed money to the opposition group in recent years.
The chairman contributed funds to government minister Lisa Nandy's leadership campaign, along with that of the government leader.
"I have fully disclosed my former ideological connection [with Labour], and that ideological connection terminated the day the parliamentary committee confirmed my selection," Kogan said.
"I am presently disconnected from any sort of politics."
