'Our role is integral to football's future' - newly appointed regulator the new chairman
Sheffield Wednesday's current difficulties are seen as a "significant problem" and the new football authority is seeking powers to look into club affairs in such situations, the recently named head the regulator has declared.
During an extensive discussion, Kogan, who was appointed on Monday, expressed "sympathy" towards supporters of the Owls.
Kogan met with four supporters' associations connected to the Championship side this week.
The team have been experiencing difficulties in multiple areas in this season, with the club failing to pay players on time on several different times, including in September.
"Obviously the club has become a serious issue for football authorities and a major challenge for the sport," the regulator explained.
"The club represents one of the great brands for football in England and in recent days we have met fan representatives.
"We're now looking to get powers... which will permit us to bring Wednesday and comparable cases referred to us if they require examination and acted upon."
Financial Struggles and Ownership Situation
The team's struggling chairman the Thai businessman suggested earlier this year he would be open to selling the club at their home ground, but he has failed to complete a sale with interested parties.
Failure to pay player wages on time in earlier this year caused limitations by the league officials in mid-year, preventing the club from carrying out any transfers or loans for the next three transfer windows, although the ban was rescinded in the end of the transfer window.
Authority's Position
Kogan said: "Our role exists to serve the fans of Sheffield Wednesday, Bury or any football club where supporters are loyal to a community organization that has been part of their lives in multiple situations.
"I have absolute sympathy for the team's plight, as I do for all the clubs that in modern times have encountered failure, or been close to going to the wall, for factors unrelated to the fans themselves."
Inquired if the authority might compel an proprietor to divest a club if they are judged inappropriate, the regulator answered: "Should the inquiry concern 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the reply is once we assemble the facts and know what's going on, we will."
But the regulator clarified that requiring chairmen to relinquish clubs would be treated as a "last resort" and the regulator would prefer to cooperate with proprietors.
"Our least desirable course of action is start getting involved with an particular organization, an particular chairman, without being in a position to cooperate with that proprietor to address the challenges confronting the team and the chairman's encountering," Kogan said.
"But the truth is, when you examine the past of the sport, over the last 20 or 30 years there have been some owners, not many, but particular people who have shown negligence in the approach they have taken toward their clubs and ultimately decline to assume obligation for the coming years."
Sheffield Wednesday supporters have been demonstrating against the team's chairman in recent months
'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 stated it constituted a "forward-thinking discussion" with a "substantial involvement" from the National League to the Premier League.
"The role holds considerable importance, because if we get it wrong, if the sport makes errors, the significant advances achieved could disappear swiftly," the regulator warned.
"Such an outcome is universally undesirable 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 coming into football and has been invested for the past two decades, because certainty is lacking it will continue to come into football, which is among the factors explaining I think we have to maintain a focused outlook on potential dangers and naturally, of the coming seasons."
Top Flight Apprehensions
Elite division representatives objected to the formation of an authority because of fears of a negative impact on the Premier League's sporting equality, but the regulator stated: "I fully support the success and growth as an economic entity of the top division.
"Being fully aware of the concern of undermining the Premier League as a premium product of the nation. But at the same time, if you talk to the Premier League after the recent gathering, they would have had a substantial amount of confidence -and, actually, they have been telling us in private they have a significant confidence."
Partisan Associations
The chairman continues to confront a "comprehensive investigation" by the public appointments commissioner after he revealed he contributed money to the Labour Party in the past.
The official provided financial support for Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport the politician's campaign, along with that of the government leader.
"I have fully disclosed my former ideological connection [with Labour], and that party membership ceased the day the select committee approved my appointment," the regulator explained.
"I currently have no participation in any sort of politics."
