'Our role is integral to football's future' - football oversight chief David Kogan
Sheffield Wednesday's ongoing struggles represent a a "major concern" and the independent regulator is seeking powers to examine team situations in comparable cases, its new chair the official has announced.
In a wide-ranging interview, Kogan, who was recently selected, voiced concern towards Wednesday's fanbase.
The regulator engaged with four fan organizations associated with the Championship side in recent days.
The team have been struggling on and off the field in the current year, with the club missing wage payments on five separate occasions, including in last month.
"Clearly Sheffield Wednesday has been a serious issue for football authorities and a major challenge for the sport," the regulator explained.
"Wednesday stands as one of the historic institutions for football in England and recently we have met fan representatives.
"We're now looking to get powers... which will enable us to take Sheffield Wednesday - and other clubs referred to us if they require examination and dealt with."
Financial Struggles and Proprietorship Status
The team's struggling chairman the Thai businessman indicated in the summer he would be open to selling the club at their home ground, but he has been unable to finalize an agreement with potential new owners.
Delayed salary payments on time in spring months led to sanctions by the football authorities in mid-year, stopping Wednesday from completing any recruitment activities for the subsequent signing windows, although those limitations were removed in the end of the transfer window.
Regulator's Perspective
Kogan said: "The job [of the regulator] is there for the Owls followers, other clubs in similar situations where fans are dedicated to a local institution that has existed throughout their lifetimes in many cases.
"I completely understand Sheffield Wednesday, as I do for each organization that over recent decades have faced collapse, or approached financial ruin, for factors unrelated to the supporters."
When asked if the oversight body could require an proprietor to divest a club if they are deemed unsuitable, the regulator answered: "Should the inquiry concern 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the answer is once we assemble the facts and comprehend the circumstances, we will."
But the chairman emphasized that requiring chairmen to relinquish clubs would be viewed as the ultimate measure and the authority would rather to work with them.
"The final option we would consider is start getting involved with an individual club, an particular chairman, without being able to work with that owner to try and resolve the issues that the club's facing and the chairman's encountering," the chairman stated.
"But the truth is, when you review the record of the sport, over the last 20 or 30 years there have been some owners, a small minority, but some who have been irresponsible in the approach they have taken toward their teams and eventually refuse to accept accountability for the future."
Sheffield Wednesday supporters have been voicing opposition to owner Dejphon Chansiri this season
'Errors may undo substantial development'
Kogan met with representatives from 110 clubs to lay out the remit of the authority recently and maintained it represented a "proactive meeting" with a "high level of engagement" from the National League to the Premier League.
"The role holds considerable importance, because should mistakes occur, if the sport makes errors, the significant advances achieved could disappear rapidly," the regulator warned.
"This represents everyone's worst fear in the context of the English game is a huge success story - we must maintain momentum.
"Substantial financial resources flowing into the game and has been channeled for the past two decades, because there's no guarantee 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."
Top Flight Apprehensions
Top flight officials resisted the establishment of an oversight body because of apprehensions regarding adverse consequences on the Premier League's sporting equality, but the chairman responded: "I fully support the achievement and development as an economic entity of the Premier League.
"Being fully aware of the concern of undermining the top flight as an elite competition of this country. But simultaneously, if you talk to the Premier League after this week's discussion, they would have had a high level of reassurance -and, in fact, they have been informing us confidentially they have a considerable comfort."
Political Connections
The regulator remains subject to a "thorough examination" by the public appointments commissioner after he revealed he contributed money to the opposition group in recent years.
The chairman contributed funds to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy's leadership campaign, along with that of the government leader.
"I've been completely open about my past party membership [with Labour], and that ideological connection terminated the day the official body endorsed my nomination," the regulator explained.
"I currently have no participation in any form of political activity."
