'Our role is integral to football's future' - newly appointed regulator the new chairman
The Championship club's ongoing struggles are seen as a "significant problem" and the independent regulator is seeking powers to investigate clubs in such situations, the recently named head the regulator has announced.
Through a comprehensive talk, the chairman, who was recently selected, expressed "sympathy" towards supporters of the Owls.
Kogan met with four supporter groups representing the Championship side in recent days.
The Championship side have been struggling on and off the field in the current year, with the club missing wage payments on five separate occasions, including in September.
"Obviously the club has become a major concern for the league and a substantial concern for English football," the chairman stated.
"Sheffield Wednesday is one of the great brands for football in England and recently we have met supporters' organizations.
"We are seeking authority... which will allow us to have Sheffield Wednesday - and other clubs submitted for our review if they need to be investigated and addressed."
Monetary Issues and Proprietorship Status
The club's controversial proprietor Dejphon Chansiri indicated in the summer he would be prepared to relinquish control at the stadium, but he has not been able to secure a deal with potential new owners.
Failure to pay player wages on time in spring months led to sanctions by the English Football League (EFL) in summer, preventing the club from carrying out any transfers or loans for the next three transfer windows, although the ban was rescinded in the end of the transfer window.
Authority's Position
The chairman stated: "The job [of the regulator] is there for the supporters of Wednesday, other clubs in similar situations where fans are dedicated to a community organization that has been part of their lives in numerous instances.
"I have absolute sympathy for the club's situation, as I do for all the clubs that in modern times have encountered failure, or nearly ceased operations, for factors unrelated to the followers."
When asked if the oversight body could require an proprietor to divest a club if they are judged inappropriate, Kogan said: "When asking whether 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the answer is once we collect the information and comprehend the circumstances, we will."
But Kogan stressed that compelling proprietors to divest clubs would be treated as a "last resort" and the regulator would prefer to cooperate with proprietors.
"The final option we would consider is begin intervening in an specific team, an particular chairman, without having the opportunity to collaborate with that chairman to fix the issues that the club's facing and the chairman's encountering," the regulator explained.
"However, realistically, when you review the record of the game, over the recent generations there have been some owners, a small minority, but some who have been irresponsible in the manner they have operated their clubs and ultimately don't wish to take responsibility for the future."
Sheffield Wednesday supporters have been voicing opposition to the team's chairman this season
'If we get it wrong, extraordinary progress vanishes'
The regulator engaged representatives from 110 clubs to explain the responsibilities of the oversight body this week and insisted it was a "forward-thinking discussion" with a "high level of engagement" from the lower divisions to the top flight.
"The role holds considerable importance, because if errors are made, if the sport makes errors, the remarkable development accomplished necessary will vanish swiftly," the regulator warned.
"Such an outcome is universally undesirable in the context of the English game is a huge success story - we've got to keep it going.
"Substantial financial resources entering the sport and has been invested for the past two decades, because there are no assurances it will continue to come into football, which is part of the rationale behind I think we have to take a really clear view on challenges and obviously, of the next two or three years."
Top Flight Apprehensions
The Premier League opposed the establishment of an oversight body because of apprehensions regarding adverse consequences on the Premier League's sporting equality, but Kogan said: "I fully support the prosperity and expansion as an economic entity of the elite league.
"As someone who appreciates the apprehension regarding damaging the division as a high-quality offering of the nation. But concurrently, if you talk to the Premier League after this week's discussion, they would have had a significant degree of comfort -and, indeed, they have been telling us in private they have a considerable comfort."
Partisan Associations
The regulator remains subject to a "comprehensive investigation" by the public appointments commissioner after he revealed he contributed money to the Labour Party in recent years.
The chairman contributed funds to government minister the politician's campaign, along with that of the now Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
"I have fully disclosed my past party membership [with Labour], and that ideological connection terminated the day the select committee approved my appointment," the chairman stated.
"I currently have no participation in any sort of politics."
