'We are going to be a part of football's future' - football oversight chief the regulator's chair
The Championship club's ongoing struggles are seen as a "major concern" and the new football authority is seeking powers to examine team situations in such situations, the recently named head the regulator has stated.
During an extensive discussion, the regulator, who was named to the position this week, expressed "sympathy" towards supporters of the Owls.
Kogan met with four supporters' associations representing the South Yorkshire club recently.
The Championship side have been struggling on and off the field in the current year, with the club missing wage payments on five separate occasions, including in September.
"Evidently Wednesday represents a major concern for the league and a significant problem for football," Kogan told.
"Sheffield Wednesday is one of the great brands for English football and in recent days we have met Sheffield Wednesday supporters' groups.
"We're now looking to get powers... which will enable us to take Sheffield Wednesday - and other clubs submitted for our review if they warrant scrutiny and acted upon."
Financial Struggles and Ownership Situation
The club's controversial proprietor Dejphon Chansiri stated during the off-season he would be open to selling the club at the stadium, but he has been unable to finalize an agreement with prospective buyers.
Delayed salary payments on time in earlier this year led to sanctions by the football authorities in summer, preventing the club from carrying out any player acquisitions for the following recruitment periods, although the ban was rescinded in the end of the transfer window.
Official's Viewpoint
The chairman stated: "The position was created for the Owls followers, other clubs in similar situations where supporters are loyal to a community organization that has been part of their lives in many cases.
"I have absolute sympathy for the club's situation, as I do for every team that in modern times have encountered failure, or been close to going to the wall, for reasons that have nothing to do with the fans themselves."
When asked if the regulator could force an owner to sell 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 comprehend the circumstances, 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 collaborate with owners.
"The final option we would consider is begin intervening in an specific team, an particular chairman, without having the opportunity to collaborate with that chairman to fix the challenges confronting the team and the chairman's encountering," Kogan said.
"But the truth is, when you look back over the history of football, 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 teams and eventually don't wish to take responsibility for the coming years."
Wednesday followers have been protesting against the team's chairman this season
'If we get it wrong, extraordinary progress vanishes'
Kogan met with officials from numerous teams to lay out the remit of the regulator on Wednesday and insisted it was a "forward-thinking discussion" with a "significant participation" from the grassroots to elite level.
"The role holds considerable importance, because should mistakes occur, 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 substantial accomplishment - we must maintain momentum.
"Considerable investment entering the sport and has come into football for the past two decades, because there's no guarantee it will persist in entering the game, which is part of the rationale behind I think we have to take a really clear view on challenges and obviously, 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 top-flight's competitiveness, but the regulator stated: "I completely endorse the prosperity and expansion as an economic entity of the top division.
"As someone who appreciates the apprehension regarding damaging the top flight as an elite competition of the nation. But simultaneously, if you talk to the Premier League after the recent gathering, they would have had a substantial amount of confidence -and, in fact, they have been telling us in private they have a considerable comfort."
Partisan Associations
The regulator remains subject to a "full inquiry" by the official appointments authority after he acknowledged providing funds to the political party in the past.
The chairman provided financial support for Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Lisa Nandy's leadership campaign, along with that of the government leader.
"I have been entirely transparent regarding my previous political affiliation [with Labour], and that party membership ceased the day the official body endorsed my nomination," Kogan said.
"I currently have no participation in any sort of politics."
