'We will play a key role in football's future' - independent football regulator David Kogan
Sheffield Wednesday's ongoing struggles constitute a "major concern" and the football regulator is looking to gain the ability to examine team situations in similar circumstances, the newly appointed chairman David Kogan has declared.
During an extensive discussion, the regulator, who was appointed on Monday, showed understanding towards supporters of the Owls.
Kogan met with four supporter groups representing the South Yorkshire club in recent days.
The Championship side have been struggling on and off the field in this season, with the club failing to pay players on time on several different times, including in last month.
"Clearly Sheffield Wednesday has been a major concern for the league and a significant problem for football," the regulator explained.
"Wednesday stands as one of the great brands for the English game and in recent days we have met supporters' organizations.
"Our aim is to acquire the ability... which will enable us to take the club and similar situations submitted for our review if they require examination and dealt with."
Monetary Issues and Proprietorship Status
Wednesday's embattled owner the current owner suggested earlier this year he would be willing to sell up at the stadium, but he has failed to complete a sale with interested parties.
Delayed salary payments on time in earlier this year led to sanctions by the football authorities in June, stopping Wednesday from completing any transfers or loans for the subsequent signing windows, although that restriction was lifted in the end of the transfer window.
Official's Viewpoint
The chairman stated: "Our role exists to serve the Owls followers, other clubs in similar situations where supporters are loyal to a local institution that has represented their community in many cases.
"I completely understand the club's situation, as I do for each organization that since 1992 have gone to the wall, or been close to going to the wall, for causes separate from the supporters."
Questioned about whether the regulator could force an owner to sell a club if they are considered unfit, the regulator answered: "When asking whether 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the reply is once we assemble the facts and know what's going on, 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 last thing what we want to do is commence engagement with an specific team, an specific proprietor, without being able to work with that proprietor to address the problems affecting the organization and the chairman's encountering," Kogan said.
"However, realistically, when you review the record of football, over the past few decades there have been particular chairmen, not many, but particular people who have shown negligence in the way which they've been managing their teams and eventually don't wish to take responsibility for the long-term prospects."
Sheffield Wednesday supporters have been demonstrating against the current proprietor this season
'If we get it wrong, extraordinary progress vanishes'
Kogan met with officials from numerous teams to lay out the remit of the authority recently and stated it constituted a "forward-thinking discussion" with a "significant participation" from the National League to the Premier League.
"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 rapidly," Kogan said.
"This represents everyone's worst fear in the context of the English game is a major achievement - we've got to keep it going.
"There's an enormous amount of money flowing into the game and has been channeled for the recent generations, because certainty is lacking 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
Elite division representatives objected to the creation of a regulator because of concerns about detrimental effects on the Premier League's sporting equality, but the regulator stated: "I'm absolutely committed to the prosperity and expansion as an commercial operation of the top division.
"As someone who appreciates the concern of undermining the Premier League as a premium product 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 advising us privately they have a high level of reassurance."
Partisan Associations
Kogan is still facing a "full inquiry" by the public appointments commissioner after he acknowledged providing funds to the Labour Party in the past.
The 68-year-old donated money to government minister the minister's leadership bid, 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 parliamentary committee confirmed my selection," the chairman stated.
"I currently have no participation in any form of political activity."
