'We are going to be a part of football's future' - football oversight chief the regulator's chair
The Championship club's current difficulties represent a a "significant problem" and the new football authority is aiming to acquire authority to examine team situations in such situations, the newly appointed chairman the regulator has declared.
During an extensive discussion, Kogan, who was named to the position this week, voiced concern towards the club's followers.
The chairman convened with four supporter groups representing the Championship side in recent days.
The Championship side have been struggling on and off the field in this season, with the club delaying salary disbursements on several different times, including in last month.
"Clearly Sheffield Wednesday has been a major concern for the league and a major challenge for the sport," the chairman stated.
"Sheffield Wednesday is 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 Sheffield Wednesday - and other clubs brought to our attention if they warrant scrutiny and addressed."
Financial Struggles and Leadership Concerns
The team's struggling chairman Dejphon Chansiri suggested earlier this year he would be prepared to relinquish control at their home ground, but he has not been able to secure a deal with interested parties.
Delayed salary payments on time in March and May led to sanctions by the English Football League (EFL) in June, preventing the club from carrying out any transfers or loans for the next three transfer windows, although that restriction was lifted in late summer.
Authority's Position
Kogan said: "The job [of the regulator] is there for the Owls followers, other clubs in similar situations where people are committed to a regional establishment that has existed throughout their lifetimes in numerous instances.
"I completely understand the team's plight, as I do for every team that over recent decades have faced collapse, or been close to going to the wall, for causes separate from the fans themselves."
Inquired if the regulator could force an chairman to relinquish a club if they are considered unfit, Kogan said: "If your question is 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the reply is once we gather the evidence and know what's going on, we will."
But the regulator clarified that forcing owners to sell clubs would be treated as a "last resort" and the regulator would prefer to cooperate with proprietors.
"The last thing what we want to do is commence engagement with an particular organization, an particular chairman, without being able to work with that owner to try and resolve the issues that the club's facing and the proprietor's dealing with," the regulator explained.
"But the truth is, when you examine the past of the sport, over the past few decades there have been some owners, not many, but particular people who have shown negligence in the manner they have operated their organizations and finally decline to assume obligation for the future."
Owls fans have been voicing opposition to the current proprietor this season
'If we get it wrong, extraordinary progress vanishes'
The regulator engaged representatives from 110 clubs to explain the responsibilities of the authority recently and insisted it was a "forward-thinking discussion" with a "substantial involvement" from the grassroots to elite level.
"This position carries substantial significance, because if we get it wrong, if the football community fails, the significant advances achieved might evaporate swiftly," the chairman stated.
"And that's what nobody wants in the realm of domestic football is a substantial accomplishment - we need to continue the progress.
"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's no guarantee it will continue to come into football, which is one of the reasons why I think we have to take a really clear view on challenges and obviously, of the next two or three years."
Elite Division Worries
Top flight officials resisted the establishment of an oversight body because of concerns about detrimental effects on the top-flight's competitiveness, but the chairman responded: "I fully support the success and growth as an financial organization of the top division.
"Being fully aware of the concern of undermining the top flight as an elite competition of this country. But at the same time, if you talk to the Premier League after today's meeting, they would have had a high level of reassurance -and, actually, they have been informing us confidentially they have a significant confidence."
Political Connections
The regulator remains subject to a "comprehensive investigation" by the public appointments commissioner after he acknowledged providing funds to the Labour Party in recent years.
The official donated money to Culture Secretary 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 political affiliation came to an end the day the parliamentary committee confirmed my selection," the chairman stated.
"I currently have no participation in any type of partisan engagement."
