'We are going to be a part of football's future' - independent football regulator David Kogan
Sheffield Wednesday's ongoing struggles are seen as a "significant problem" and the independent regulator is looking to gain the ability to investigate clubs in comparable cases, its new chair the regulator has announced.
In a wide-ranging interview, Kogan, who was named to the position this week, voiced concern towards the club's followers.
Kogan met with four fan organizations representing the Championship side recently.
The Championship side have been struggling on and off the field in this season, with the club missing wage payments on five separate occasions, including in September.
"Evidently Wednesday represents a serious issue for football authorities and a major challenge for the sport," the chairman stated.
"The club represents one of the historic institutions for the English game and recently we have met Sheffield Wednesday supporters' groups.
"Our aim is to acquire the ability... which will permit us to bring the club and similar situations referred to us if they need to be investigated and acted upon."
Monetary Issues and Ownership Situation
The team's struggling chairman the current owner indicated in the summer he would be prepared to relinquish control at Hillsborough, but he has failed to complete a sale with interested parties.
Missed wage deadlines on time in spring months caused limitations by the football authorities in mid-year, preventing the club from carrying out any player acquisitions for the subsequent signing windows, although the ban was rescinded in August.
Regulator's Perspective
Kogan said: "Our role exists to serve the supporters of Wednesday, Bury or any football club where fans are dedicated to a local institution that has represented their community in multiple situations.
"I have absolute sympathy for the team's plight, as I do for every team that over recent decades have faced collapse, or nearly ceased operations, for factors unrelated to the fans themselves."
When asked if the authority might compel an owner to sell a club if they are considered unfit, the regulator answered: "If your question is 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the answer is once we collect the information and understand the situation, we will."
But the chairman emphasized that compelling proprietors to divest clubs would be viewed as the ultimate measure and the oversight body would choose to work with them.
"Our least desirable course of action is commence engagement with an particular organization, an particular chairman, without being able to work with that chairman to fix the challenges confronting the team and the owner's facing," the regulator explained.
"However, realistically, when you examine the past of football, over the recent generations there have been certain proprietors, not many, but some who have been irresponsible in the way which they've been managing their teams and eventually decline to assume obligation for the long-term prospects."
Wednesday followers have been voicing opposition to the current proprietor this season
'If we get it wrong, extraordinary progress vanishes'
The regulator engaged officials from numerous teams to explain the responsibilities of the oversight body this week and stated it constituted a "proactive meeting" with a "high level of engagement" from the lower divisions to the top flight.
"This position carries substantial significance, because if we get it wrong, if the sport makes errors, the significant advances achieved necessary will vanish rapidly," Kogan said.
"This represents everyone's worst fear in the realm of domestic football is a huge success story - we must maintain momentum.
"Considerable investment entering the sport and has come into football for the past two decades, because certainty is lacking it will persist in entering the game, which is among the factors explaining I think we have to adopt a precise perspective on potential dangers and naturally, of the next two or three years."
Premier League Concerns
Top flight officials resisted the establishment of an oversight body because of concerns about detrimental effects on the Premier League's sporting equality, but Kogan said: "I fully support the achievement and development as an financial organization of the elite league.
"As someone who appreciates the concern of undermining the Premier League as a premium product of the nation. But concurrently, if you engage with division representatives after this week's discussion, they would have had a substantial amount of confidence -and, actually, they have been informing us confidentially they have a high level of reassurance."
Political Connections
Kogan is still facing a "thorough examination" by the official appointments authority after he revealed he contributed money to the political party in recent years.
The official contributed funds to Culture Secretary the minister's leadership bid, 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 select committee approved my appointment," Kogan said.
"I am no longer involved in any form of political activity."
