'Our role is integral to football's future' - independent football regulator the new chairman
Sheffield Wednesday's current difficulties are seen as a "serious issue" and the football regulator is seeking powers to investigate clubs in similar circumstances, its new chair David Kogan has stated.
During an extensive discussion, Kogan, who was named to the position this week, expressed "sympathy" towards Wednesday's fanbase.
Kogan met with four supporters' associations representing the South Yorkshire club recently.
The team have been facing challenges both on and off the pitch in the current year, with the club missing wage payments on multiple instances, including in September.
"Evidently Wednesday represents a major concern for the league and a significant problem for football," Kogan told.
"Wednesday stands as one of the historic institutions for the English game and recently we have met fan representatives.
"We are seeking authority... which will allow us to have Sheffield Wednesday - and other clubs submitted for our review if they require examination and acted upon."
Financial Struggles and Proprietorship Status
The team's struggling chairman Dejphon Chansiri indicated in the summer he would be open to selling the club at their home ground, but he has failed to complete a sale with prospective buyers.
Failure to pay player wages on time in earlier this year resulted in restrictions being imposed 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the club from carrying out any player acquisitions for the following recruitment periods, although the ban was rescinded in August.
Regulator's Perspective
The regulator explained: "Our role exists to serve the supporters of Wednesday, other clubs in similar situations where people are committed to a regional establishment that has been part of their lives in many cases.
"I fully appreciate Sheffield Wednesday, as I do for all the clubs that over recent decades have faced collapse, or nearly ceased operations, for causes separate from the fans themselves."
Questioned about whether the regulator could force an owner to sell a club if they are judged inappropriate, the chairman responded: "Should the inquiry concern 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the reply is once we gather the evidence and know what's going on, we will."
But Kogan stressed 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 specific proprietor, without being able to work with that owner to try and resolve the problems affecting the organization and the owner's facing," the regulator explained.
"But the truth is, when you review the record of football, over the recent generations there have been some owners, not many, but particular people who have shown negligence in the way which they've been managing their clubs and ultimately refuse to accept accountability for the long-term prospects."
Wednesday followers have been demonstrating against the team's chairman in recent months
'If we get it wrong, extraordinary progress vanishes'
The chairman convened with representatives from 110 clubs to detail the scope of the authority recently and maintained it represented a "forward-thinking discussion" with a "substantial involvement" from the lower divisions to the top flight.
"This position carries substantial significance, because if errors are made, if the world of football gets it wrong, the significant advances achieved might evaporate rapidly," Kogan said.
"Such an outcome is universally undesirable in the context of the English game is a major achievement - we must maintain momentum.
"There's an enormous amount of money flowing into the game and has come into football for the last 20 or 25 years, because there are no assurances it will keep flowing into the sport, which is part of the rationale behind I think we have to take a really clear view on potential dangers and naturally, of the coming seasons."
Elite Division Worries
Top flight officials resisted the creation of a regulator 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 economic entity of the Premier League.
"I of all people understand the worry about compromising 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 advising us privately they have a significant confidence."
Ideological Links
The regulator remains subject to a "comprehensive investigation" by the official appointments authority after he revealed he contributed money to the opposition group in the past.
The chairman contributed funds to 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 previous political affiliation [with Labour], and that party membership ceased the day the parliamentary committee confirmed my selection," the regulator explained.
"I am no longer involved in any form of political activity."
