'Our role is integral to football's future' - independent football regulator the new chairman
Sheffield Wednesday's persistent issues constitute a "significant problem" and the football regulator is seeking powers to investigate clubs in comparable cases, its new chair the official has declared.
During an extensive discussion, the regulator, who was recently selected, expressed "sympathy" towards supporters of the Owls.
The chairman convened with four fan organizations representing the football team this week.
The team have been struggling on and off the field in this season, with the club missing wage payments on five separate occasions, including in last month.
"Obviously the club has become a major concern for the league and a significant problem for football," the chairman stated.
"The club represents one of the iconic names for English football and this week we have met supporters' organizations.
"We're now looking to get powers... which will enable us to take Sheffield Wednesday - and other clubs referred to us if they warrant scrutiny and addressed."
Financial Struggles and Proprietorship Status
The club's controversial proprietor the current owner suggested earlier this year he would be prepared to relinquish control at their home ground, but he has not been able to secure a deal with interested parties.
Failure to pay player wages on time in spring months led to sanctions by the league officials in summer, preventing the club from carrying out any player acquisitions for the next three transfer windows, although those limitations were removed in late summer.
Authority's Position
Kogan said: "Our role exists to serve the supporters of Wednesday, teams facing challenges where supporters are loyal to a regional establishment that has existed throughout their lifetimes in many cases.
"I completely understand the team's plight, as I do for each organization that since 1992 have gone to the wall, or approached financial ruin, for causes separate from the fans themselves."
Questioned about whether the oversight body could require an owner to sell a club if they are deemed unsuitable, the regulator answered: "When asking whether 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the response would be once we assemble the facts and know what's going on, we will."
But the chairman emphasized that requiring chairmen to relinquish clubs would be considered the final option and the regulator would prefer to work with them.
"The last thing what we want to do is commence engagement with an individual club, an particular chairman, without being able to work with that proprietor to address the challenges confronting the team and the owner's facing," the chairman stated.
"But the truth is, when you examine the past of the game, over the last 20 or 30 years there have been some owners, few in number, but some who have been irresponsible in the way which they've been managing their clubs and ultimately refuse to accept accountability for the coming years."
Sheffield Wednesday supporters have been voicing opposition to the team's chairman during the current campaign
'Mistakes could erase significant advances'
The regulator engaged representatives from 110 clubs to lay out the remit of the oversight body this week and insisted it was a "proactive meeting" with a "significant participation" from the lower divisions to the top flight.
"This position carries substantial significance, because if errors are made, if the sport makes errors, the extraordinary progress that's been made might evaporate rapidly," Kogan said.
"And that's what nobody wants in the context of the English game is a huge success story - we must maintain momentum.
"Considerable investment coming into football and has come into football for the recent generations, 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 risk and of course, of the next two or three years."
Premier League Concerns
Elite division representatives objected to the creation of a regulator because of concerns about detrimental effects on the top-flight's competitiveness, but the regulator stated: "I fully support the success and growth as an commercial operation of the Premier League.
"Being fully aware of the apprehension regarding damaging the Premier League as a premium product of this country. But simultaneously, if you engage with division representatives after the recent gathering, they would have had a significant degree of comfort -and, in fact, they have been telling us in private they have a high level of reassurance."
Partisan Associations
The regulator remains subject to a "full inquiry" by the Commissioner for Public Appointments after he acknowledged providing funds 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 current Prime Minister.
"I have fully disclosed my past party membership [with Labour], and that political affiliation came to an end the day the official body endorsed my nomination," Kogan said.
"I am presently disconnected from any form of political activity."
