'Our role is integral to football's future' - newly appointed regulator the new chairman
The Championship club's ongoing struggles constitute a "serious issue" and the new football authority is aiming to acquire authority to look into club affairs in similar circumstances, the recently named head the regulator has announced.
In a wide-ranging interview, the chairman, who was named to the position this week, expressed "sympathy" towards Wednesday's fanbase.
Kogan met with four supporter groups connected to the football team recently.
The team have been facing challenges both on and off the pitch in this season, with the club delaying salary disbursements on several different times, including in September.
"Evidently Wednesday represents a serious issue for football authorities and a major challenge for the sport," the chairman stated.
"Wednesday stands as one of the iconic names for English football and recently we have met supporters' organizations.
"We are seeking authority... which will enable us to take Sheffield Wednesday - and other clubs brought to our attention if they warrant scrutiny and acted upon."
Financial Struggles and Ownership Situation
The team's struggling chairman the Thai businessman indicated in the summer he would be willing to sell up at Hillsborough, but he has been unable to finalize an agreement with potential new owners.
Delayed salary payments on time in earlier this year resulted in restrictions being imposed by the football authorities in summer, blocking the team from conducting any transfers or loans for the following recruitment periods, although those limitations were removed in the end of the transfer window.
Regulator's Perspective
The chairman stated: "Our role exists to serve the supporters of Wednesday, Bury or any football club where supporters are loyal to a community organization that has existed throughout their lifetimes in multiple situations.
"I have absolute sympathy for the club's situation, as I do for each organization that since 1992 have gone to the wall, or approached financial ruin, for reasons that have nothing to do with the supporters."
Questioned about whether the authority might compel an proprietor to divest a club if they are judged inappropriate, the chairman responded: "If your question is 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the answer is once we collect the information and know what's going on, we will."
But Kogan stressed that compelling proprietors to divest clubs would be treated as a "last resort" and the oversight body would choose to work with them.
"The final option we would consider is commence engagement with an individual club, an individual owner, without being able to work with that owner to try and resolve the challenges confronting the team and the chairman's encountering," the regulator explained.
"However, realistically, when you review the record of the sport, over the past few decades there have been some owners, few in number, but particular people who have shown negligence in the approach they have taken toward their clubs and ultimately refuse to accept accountability for the long-term prospects."
Owls fans have been voicing opposition to owner Dejphon Chansiri during the current campaign
'If we get it wrong, extraordinary progress vanishes'
Kogan met with representatives from 110 clubs to explain the responsibilities of the authority recently and maintained it represented a "progressive gathering" with a "high level of engagement" from the National League to the Premier League.
"This position carries substantial significance, 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," the regulator warned.
"This represents everyone's worst fear in the terms of English football is a substantial accomplishment - we must maintain momentum.
"Considerable investment coming into football and has been channeled for the last 20 or 25 years, because there's no guarantee it will persist in entering the game, which is among the factors explaining I think we have to take a really clear view on risk and of course, of the next two or three years."
Top Flight Apprehensions
Elite division representatives objected to the establishment of an oversight body because of concerns about detrimental effects on the elite division's competitive balance, but the chairman responded: "I'm absolutely committed to the success and growth as an economic entity of the elite league.
"As someone who appreciates the apprehension regarding damaging the division as a high-quality offering of this country. But concurrently, if you engage with division representatives after this week's discussion, they would have had a significant degree of comfort -and, actually, they have been advising us privately they have a high level of reassurance."
Partisan Associations
Kogan is still facing a "full inquiry" by the public appointments commissioner after he revealed he contributed money to the political party in the past.
The chairman donated money to Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Lisa Nandy's leadership campaign, along with that of the government leader.
"I have fully disclosed my former ideological connection [with Labour], and that political affiliation came to an end the day the parliamentary committee confirmed my selection," the chairman stated.
"I am no longer involved in any form of political activity."
