'Our role is integral to football's future' - independent football regulator the regulator's chair
Sheffield Wednesday's ongoing struggles are seen as a "significant problem" and the independent regulator is seeking powers to investigate clubs in comparable cases, the newly appointed chairman the regulator has announced.
In a wide-ranging interview, the chairman, who was recently selected, voiced concern towards the club's followers.
Kogan met with four supporters' associations representing the football team recently.
The team have been struggling on and off the field in this season, with the club failing to pay players on time on five separate occasions, including in September.
"Clearly Sheffield Wednesday has been a serious issue for football authorities and a substantial concern for English football," Kogan told.
"Wednesday stands as one of the great brands for football in England and recently we have met supporters' organizations.
"We're now looking to get powers... which will allow us to have Sheffield Wednesday - and other clubs brought to our attention if they need to be investigated and acted upon."
Monetary Issues and Leadership Concerns
The club's controversial proprietor Dejphon Chansiri stated during the off-season he would be willing to sell up at the stadium, but he has failed to complete a sale with potential new owners.
Missed wage deadlines on time in spring months caused limitations by the league officials in mid-year, preventing the club from carrying out any recruitment activities for the following recruitment periods, although those limitations were removed in the end of the transfer window.
Authority's Position
Kogan said: "Our role exists to serve the fans of Sheffield Wednesday, other clubs in similar situations where people are committed 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 in modern times have encountered failure, or been close to going to the wall, for causes separate from the fans themselves."
Questioned about whether the regulator could force an owner to sell a club if they are considered unfit, the chairman responded: "When asking whether 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the answer is once we collect the information and comprehend the circumstances, we will."
But the regulator clarified that forcing owners to sell clubs would be treated as a "last resort" and the oversight body would choose to work with them.
"The last thing what we want to do is commence engagement with an individual club, an specific proprietor, without having the opportunity to collaborate with that owner to try and resolve the problems affecting the organization and the chairman's encountering," Kogan said.
"However, realistically, when you look back over the history of the sport, over the past few decades there have been some owners, a small minority, but some who have been irresponsible in the manner they have operated their organizations and finally don't wish to take responsibility for the long-term prospects."
Sheffield Wednesday supporters have been protesting against the current proprietor in recent months
'Mistakes could erase significant advances'
Kogan met with officials from numerous teams to explain the responsibilities of the authority recently and insisted it was a "proactive meeting" with a "high level of engagement" from the grassroots to elite level.
"The role holds considerable importance, because should mistakes occur, if the world of football gets it wrong, the extraordinary progress that's been made could disappear incredibly quickly," the chairman stated.
"This represents everyone's worst fear in the realm of domestic football is a major achievement - we've got to keep it going.
"Substantial financial resources coming into football and has been channeled for the past two decades, because there are no assurances it will continue to come into football, which is among the factors explaining I think we have to maintain a focused outlook on risk and of course, of the immediate future."
Elite Division Worries
The Premier League opposed the creation of a regulator because of fears of a negative impact on the top-flight's competitiveness, but the chairman responded: "I'm absolutely committed to the achievement and development as an financial organization of the elite league.
"I of all people understand the worry about compromising the division as a high-quality offering of this country. But simultaneously, if you engage with division representatives after the recent gathering, they would have had a high level of reassurance -and, actually, they have been advising us privately they have a significant confidence."
Ideological Links
Kogan is still facing a "thorough examination" by the Commissioner for Public Appointments after he revealed he contributed money to the Labour Party in recent years.
The official provided financial support for government minister Lisa Nandy's leadership 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 parliamentary committee confirmed my selection," the chairman stated.
"I am presently disconnected from any sort of politics."
