'Our role is integral to football's future' - newly appointed regulator the new chairman
The team's current difficulties constitute a "major concern" and the independent regulator is seeking powers to look into club affairs in comparable cases, the newly appointed chairman the official has announced.
Through a comprehensive talk, the chairman, who was recently selected, showed understanding towards the club's followers.
Kogan met with four fan organizations representing the Championship side this week.
The Championship side have been experiencing difficulties in multiple areas in the current year, with the club missing wage payments on multiple instances, including in the autumn.
"Clearly Sheffield Wednesday has been a major concern for the league and a substantial concern for English football," the chairman stated.
"Wednesday stands as one of the great brands for football in England and recently we have met fan representatives.
"We're now looking to get powers... which will enable us to take Wednesday and comparable cases referred to us if they warrant scrutiny and dealt with."
Monetary Issues and Ownership Situation
The team's struggling chairman the current owner indicated in the summer he would be willing to sell up at Hillsborough, but he has not been able to secure a deal with interested parties.
Failure to pay player wages on time in March and May led to sanctions by the football authorities in mid-year, blocking the team from conducting any recruitment activities for the following recruitment periods, although the ban was rescinded in the end of the transfer window.
Official's Viewpoint
The chairman stated: "Our role exists to serve the fans of Sheffield Wednesday, teams facing challenges where fans are dedicated to a local institution that has represented their community in numerous instances.
"I fully appreciate the club's situation, as I do for every team that over recent decades have faced collapse, or approached financial ruin, for reasons that have nothing to do with the supporters."
Inquired if the oversight body could require an proprietor to divest a club if they are judged inappropriate, Kogan said: "Should the inquiry concern 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the response would be once we gather the evidence and understand the situation, we will."
But Kogan stressed 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 begin intervening in an particular organization, an individual owner, without being able to work with that proprietor to address the issues that the club's facing and the chairman's encountering," the regulator explained.
"However, realistically, when you review the record of the sport, over the recent generations there have been some owners, few in number, but particular people who have shown negligence in the approach they have taken toward their clubs and ultimately decline to assume obligation for the future."
Sheffield Wednesday supporters have been demonstrating against owner Dejphon Chansiri this season
'If we get it wrong, extraordinary progress vanishes'
The regulator engaged delegates from multiple organizations to detail the scope of the regulator on Wednesday and insisted it was a "forward-thinking discussion" with a "substantial involvement" from the grassroots to elite level.
"This position carries substantial significance, because if we get it wrong, if the world of football gets it wrong, the extraordinary progress that's been made necessary will vanish rapidly," the chairman stated.
"And that's what nobody wants in the terms of English football is a huge success story - we must maintain momentum.
"Substantial financial resources flowing into the game and has come into football for the last 20 or 25 years, because there are no assurances it will continue to come into football, which is part of the rationale behind I think we have to take a really clear view on risk and of course, of the coming seasons."
Premier League Concerns
The Premier League opposed the creation of a regulator because of fears of a negative impact on the top-flight's competitiveness, but Kogan said: "I fully support the achievement and development as an commercial operation of the Premier League.
"Being fully aware of the concern of undermining the division as a high-quality offering of this country. But simultaneously, if you consult with top flight officials after the recent gathering, they would have had a high level of reassurance -and, indeed, they have been telling us in private they have a significant confidence."
Political Connections
Kogan is still facing a "thorough examination" by the public appointments commissioner after he acknowledged providing funds to the political party in recent years.
The 68-year-old provided financial support for government minister the politician's campaign, along with that of the current Prime Minister.
"I have been entirely transparent regarding my previous political affiliation [with Labour], and that political affiliation came to an end the day the official body endorsed my nomination," Kogan said.
"I am presently disconnected from any sort of politics."
