'Our role is integral to football's future' - newly appointed regulator David Kogan
Sheffield Wednesday's ongoing struggles represent a a "significant problem" and the independent regulator is seeking powers to look into club affairs in comparable cases, the recently named head the regulator has declared.
In a wide-ranging interview, the chairman, who was appointed on Monday, showed understanding towards the club's followers.
Kogan met with four supporters' associations representing the Championship side in recent days.
The team have been struggling on and off the field in the current year, with the club delaying salary disbursements on five separate occasions, including in the autumn.
"Obviously the club has become a serious issue for football authorities and a significant problem for football," the chairman stated.
"The club represents one of the great brands for football in England and in recent days we have met Sheffield Wednesday supporters' groups.
"We are seeking authority... which will permit us to bring the club and similar situations submitted for our review if they need to be investigated and acted upon."
Monetary Issues and Ownership Situation
Wednesday's embattled owner the Thai businessman stated during the off-season he would be willing to sell up at the stadium, but he has been unable to finalize an agreement with potential new owners.
Failure to pay player wages on time in spring months caused limitations by the football authorities in mid-year, stopping Wednesday from completing any transfers or loans for the next three transfer windows, although that restriction was lifted in the end of the transfer window.
Authority's Position
The regulator explained: "The job [of the regulator] is there for the supporters of Wednesday, Bury or any football club where people are committed to a local institution that has been part of their lives in multiple situations.
"I fully appreciate Sheffield Wednesday, as I do for every team that in modern times have encountered failure, or been close to going to the wall, for causes separate from the fans themselves."
Questioned about whether the oversight body could require 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 assemble the facts and understand the situation, we will."
But the regulator clarified that requiring chairmen to relinquish clubs would be viewed as the ultimate measure and the oversight body would choose to work with them.
"The last thing what we want to do is start getting involved with an individual club, an specific proprietor, without having the opportunity to collaborate with that owner to try and resolve the issues that the club's facing and the chairman's encountering," the chairman stated.
"However, realistically, when you look back over the history of football, over the past few decades there have been particular chairmen, few in number, but certain individuals who have acted carelessly in the manner they have operated their organizations and finally decline to assume obligation for the coming years."
Sheffield Wednesday supporters have been protesting against owner Dejphon Chansiri in recent months
'Errors may undo substantial development'
The regulator engaged representatives from 110 clubs to lay out the remit of the oversight body this week and stated it constituted a "forward-thinking discussion" with a "substantial involvement" from the lower divisions to the top flight.
"It's a job that's actually really important, because if errors are made, if the football community fails, the significant advances achieved might evaporate rapidly," Kogan said.
"Such an outcome is universally undesirable in the realm of domestic football is a substantial accomplishment - we must maintain momentum.
"Substantial financial resources 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 among the factors explaining I think we have to adopt a precise perspective on potential dangers and naturally, of the next two or three years."
Premier League Concerns
Elite division representatives objected to the creation of a regulator because of fears of a negative impact on the Premier League's sporting equality, but Kogan said: "I'm absolutely committed to the achievement and development as an commercial operation of the top division.
"Being fully aware of the concern of undermining the division as a high-quality offering of this country. But simultaneously, 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 telling us in private they have a high level of reassurance."
Political Connections
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 donated money to Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Lisa Nandy's leadership campaign, along with that of the current Prime Minister.
"I have fully disclosed my previous political affiliation [with Labour], and that ideological connection terminated the day the parliamentary committee confirmed my selection," the chairman stated.
"I am presently disconnected from any sort of politics."
