'We will play a key role in football's future' - independent football regulator the new chairman
Sheffield Wednesday's current difficulties are seen as a "significant problem" and the football regulator is seeking powers to examine team situations in similar circumstances, its new chair the official has declared.
Through a comprehensive talk, the chairman, who was named to the position this week, voiced concern towards supporters of the Owls.
Kogan met with four fan organizations associated with the South Yorkshire club in recent days.
The team have been experiencing difficulties in multiple areas in the current year, with the club failing to pay players on time on five separate occasions, including in September.
"Evidently Wednesday represents a serious issue for football authorities and a substantial concern for English football," the regulator explained.
"The club represents one of the historic institutions for English football and this week we have met fan representatives.
"We're now looking to get powers... which will allow us to have Sheffield Wednesday - and other clubs submitted for our review if they warrant scrutiny and addressed."
Monetary Issues and Leadership Concerns
Wednesday's embattled owner the Thai businessman indicated in the summer he would be willing to sell up at the stadium, 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, stopping Wednesday from completing any recruitment activities for the following recruitment periods, although that restriction was lifted in August.
Authority's Position
Kogan said: "The position was created for the Owls followers, teams facing challenges where supporters are loyal to a regional establishment that has been part of their lives in numerous instances.
"I completely understand the club's situation, as I do for every team that in modern times have encountered failure, or been close to going to the wall, for reasons that have nothing to do with the fans themselves."
Inquired if the oversight body could require an proprietor to divest a club if they are judged inappropriate, Kogan said: "When asking whether 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the answer is once we assemble the facts and comprehend the circumstances, we will."
But the chairman emphasized that requiring chairmen to relinquish clubs would be considered the final option and the authority would rather to work with them.
"The final option we would consider is commence engagement with an particular organization, an particular chairman, without being in a position to cooperate with that chairman to fix the issues that the club's facing and the owner's facing," the chairman stated.
"However, realistically, when you review the record of football, over the last 20 or 30 years there have been some owners, not many, but some who have been irresponsible in the approach they have taken toward their clubs and ultimately decline to assume obligation for the long-term prospects."
Owls fans have been demonstrating against owner Dejphon Chansiri in recent months
'Mistakes could erase significant advances'
The regulator engaged officials from numerous teams to detail the scope of the authority recently and insisted it was a "forward-thinking discussion" with a "substantial involvement" from the grassroots to elite level.
"The role holds considerable importance, because if we get it wrong, if the world of football gets it wrong, the extraordinary progress that's been made necessary will vanish incredibly quickly," Kogan said.
"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 channeled for the past two decades, because certainty is lacking it will keep flowing into the sport, which is one of the reasons why I think we have to maintain a focused outlook on potential dangers and naturally, of the coming seasons."
Premier League Concerns
Elite division representatives objected to the creation of a regulator because of apprehensions regarding adverse consequences on the Premier League's sporting equality, but Kogan said: "I'm absolutely committed to the achievement and development as an economic entity of the Premier League.
"Being fully aware of the concern of undermining the top flight as an elite competition of the nation. But simultaneously, if you talk to the Premier League after this week's discussion, they would have had a significant degree of comfort -and, indeed, they have been telling us in private they have a significant confidence."
Partisan Associations
Kogan is still facing a "comprehensive investigation" by the Commissioner for Public Appointments after he acknowledged providing funds to the Labour Party in recent years.
The official contributed funds to Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport the politician's campaign, along with that of the now Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
"I have been entirely transparent regarding my previous political affiliation [with Labour], and that ideological connection terminated the day the select committee approved my appointment," Kogan said.
"I currently have no participation in any type of partisan engagement."
