'Our role is integral to football's future' - football oversight chief the new chairman
Sheffield Wednesday's persistent issues represent a a "major concern" and the new football authority is seeking powers to investigate clubs in similar circumstances, its new chair the official has announced.
Through a comprehensive talk, Kogan, who was named to the position this week, expressed "sympathy" towards Wednesday's fanbase.
Kogan met with four fan organizations representing the South Yorkshire club this week.
The football club have been facing challenges both on and off the pitch in the current year, with the club failing to pay players on time on several different times, including in the autumn.
"Evidently Wednesday represents a major concern for the league and a substantial concern for English football," the regulator explained.
"The club represents one of the historic institutions for the English game and in recent days we have met fan representatives.
"We're now looking to get powers... which will enable us to take Wednesday and comparable cases brought to our attention if they require examination and acted upon."
Economic Challenges and Leadership Concerns
The team's struggling chairman the Thai businessman indicated in the summer he would be willing to sell up at the stadium, but he has failed to complete a sale with potential new owners.
Delayed salary payments on time in spring months caused limitations by the English Football League (EFL) in June, preventing the club from carrying out any recruitment activities for the next three transfer windows, although those limitations were removed in August.
Authority's Position
The chairman stated: "Our role exists to serve the supporters of Wednesday, Bury or any football club where people are committed to a local institution that has existed throughout their lifetimes in numerous instances.
"I have absolute sympathy for the team's plight, as I do for every team that over recent decades have faced collapse, or approached financial ruin, for causes separate from the supporters."
When asked if the authority might compel an proprietor to divest a club if they are judged inappropriate, Kogan said: "If your question is 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the response would be once we assemble the facts and comprehend the circumstances, we will."
But the chairman emphasized that requiring chairmen to relinquish clubs would be considered the final option and the oversight body would choose to work with them.
"The final option we would consider is start getting involved with an particular organization, an specific proprietor, without having the opportunity to collaborate with that proprietor to address the problems affecting the organization and the proprietor's dealing with," the chairman stated.
"But the truth is, when you look back over the history of the game, over the last 20 or 30 years there have been certain proprietors, not many, but particular people who have shown negligence in the manner they have operated their clubs and ultimately don't wish to take responsibility for the coming years."
Sheffield Wednesday supporters have been demonstrating against the current proprietor this season
'Errors may undo substantial development'
The regulator engaged representatives from 110 clubs to detail the scope of the regulator on Wednesday and maintained it represented a "proactive meeting" with a "high level of engagement" from the grassroots to elite level.
"The role holds considerable importance, because if errors are made, if the world of football gets it wrong, the extraordinary progress that's been made necessary will vanish swiftly," the chairman stated.
"This represents everyone's worst fear in the realm of domestic football is a huge success story - 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 continue to come into football, which is one of the reasons why I think we have to adopt a precise perspective on challenges and obviously, of the immediate future."
Premier League Concerns
The Premier League opposed the formation of an authority because of fears of a negative impact on the top-flight's competitiveness, but Kogan said: "I'm absolutely committed to the achievement and development as an economic entity of the elite league.
"As someone who appreciates the concern of undermining the division as a high-quality offering of this country. But concurrently, if you talk to the Premier League after this week's discussion, they would have had a high level of reassurance -and, indeed, they have been informing us confidentially they have a significant confidence."
Partisan Associations
Kogan is still facing a "thorough examination" by the public appointments commissioner after he disclosed making donations to the political party in recent years.
The official provided financial support for government minister 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 official body endorsed my nomination," Kogan said.
"I currently have no participation in any sort of politics."
