'Our role is integral to football's future' - independent football regulator the regulator's chair
Sheffield Wednesday's current difficulties constitute a "significant problem" and the independent regulator is aiming to acquire authority to look into club affairs in comparable cases, its new chair the regulator has announced.
In a wide-ranging interview, the regulator, who was named to the position this week, voiced concern towards Wednesday's fanbase.
The chairman convened with four supporters' associations connected to the South Yorkshire club recently.
The Championship side have been facing challenges both on and off the pitch in the current year, with the club delaying salary disbursements on multiple instances, including in the autumn.
"Evidently Wednesday represents a major concern for the league and a major challenge for the sport," the chairman stated.
"Wednesday stands as one of the great brands for the English game and this week we have met fan representatives.
"Our aim is to acquire the ability... which will permit us to bring Sheffield Wednesday - and other clubs brought to our attention if they require examination and addressed."
Monetary Issues and Proprietorship Status
Wednesday's embattled owner Dejphon Chansiri suggested earlier this year he would be willing to sell up at Hillsborough, but he has not been able to secure a deal with potential new owners.
Delayed salary payments on time in earlier this year caused limitations by the league officials in mid-year, blocking the team from conducting any transfers or loans for the subsequent signing windows, although the ban was rescinded in the end of the transfer window.
Authority's Position
Kogan said: "The job [of the regulator] is there for the fans of Sheffield Wednesday, other clubs in similar situations where supporters are loyal to a community organization that has represented their community in many cases.
"I completely understand the team's plight, as I do for each organization that over recent decades have faced collapse, or been close to going to the wall, for causes separate from the followers."
Questioned about whether the regulator could force an chairman to relinquish a club if they are judged inappropriate, Kogan said: "If your question is 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the answer is 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 considered the final option and the oversight body would choose to cooperate with proprietors.
"Our least desirable course of action is commence engagement with an particular organization, an individual owner, without having the opportunity to collaborate with that owner to try and resolve the issues that the club's facing and the owner's facing," the regulator explained.
"In actuality, when you review the record of the sport, over the past few decades there have been certain proprietors, not many, but particular people who have shown negligence in the manner they have operated their organizations and finally refuse to accept accountability for the coming years."
Sheffield Wednesday supporters have been demonstrating against the current proprietor in recent months
'Errors may undo substantial development'
The regulator engaged representatives from 110 clubs to explain the responsibilities of the regulator on Wednesday and maintained it represented a "progressive gathering" with a "significant participation" from the grassroots to elite level.
"This position carries substantial significance, because should mistakes occur, if the football community fails, the significant advances achieved necessary will vanish incredibly quickly," Kogan said.
"Such an outcome is universally undesirable in the terms of English football is a substantial accomplishment - we've got to keep it going.
"Substantial financial resources entering the sport and has come into football for the recent generations, because there are no assurances it will continue to come into football, which is part of the rationale behind I think we have to maintain a focused outlook on potential dangers and naturally, of the immediate future."
Elite Division Worries
Top flight officials resisted the formation of an authority because of concerns about detrimental effects on the top-flight's competitiveness, but the regulator stated: "I'm absolutely committed to the success and growth as an commercial operation of the Premier League.
"Being fully aware of the apprehension regarding damaging the top flight as an elite competition of England. But concurrently, if you engage with division representatives 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 considerable comfort."
Partisan Associations
Kogan is still facing a "full inquiry" by the Commissioner for Public Appointments after he acknowledged providing funds to the political party in the past.
The official contributed funds to Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport the minister's leadership bid, along with that of the current Prime Minister.
"I have been entirely transparent regarding my past party membership [with Labour], and that ideological connection terminated the day the select committee approved my appointment," Kogan said.
"I currently have no participation in any sort of politics."
