'We will play a key role in football's future' - newly appointed regulator the regulator's chair
Sheffield Wednesday's current difficulties are seen as a "major concern" and the independent regulator is aiming to acquire authority to look into club affairs in such situations, the recently named head the official has declared.
During an extensive discussion, the chairman, who was named to the position this week, voiced concern towards the club's followers.
Kogan met with four supporter groups representing the South Yorkshire club this week.
The football club have been experiencing difficulties in multiple areas in the current year, with the club failing to pay players on time on five separate occasions, including in September.
"Clearly Sheffield Wednesday has been a major concern for the league and a substantial concern for English football," the regulator explained.
"The club represents one of the iconic names for football in England and in recent days we have met fan representatives.
"We are seeking authority... which will enable us to take Wednesday and comparable cases brought to our attention if they need to be investigated and acted upon."
Economic Challenges and Proprietorship Status
The team's struggling chairman the Thai businessman suggested earlier this year he would be willing to sell up at Hillsborough, but he has not been able to secure a deal with interested parties.
Missed wage deadlines on time in spring months caused limitations by the league officials in summer, stopping Wednesday from completing any player acquisitions for the following recruitment periods, although the ban was rescinded in late summer.
Regulator's Perspective
Kogan said: "Our role exists to serve the supporters of Wednesday, teams facing challenges where supporters are loyal to a local institution that has been part of their lives in many cases.
"I fully appreciate the club's situation, as I do for all the clubs that since 1992 have gone to the wall, or nearly ceased operations, for factors unrelated to the followers."
When asked if the authority might compel 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 response would be once we assemble the facts and know what's going on, we will."
But Kogan stressed that forcing owners to sell clubs would be considered the final option and the authority would rather to cooperate with proprietors.
"The final option we would consider is begin intervening in an specific team, an particular chairman, without being able to work with that chairman to fix the problems affecting the organization and the proprietor's dealing with," Kogan said.
"In actuality, when you look back over the history of the sport, over the last 20 or 30 years there have been particular chairmen, a small minority, but particular people who have shown negligence in the manner they have operated their clubs and ultimately refuse to accept accountability for the long-term prospects."
Owls fans have been protesting against the team's chairman in recent months
'Mistakes could erase significant advances'
The chairman convened with representatives from 110 clubs to lay out the remit of the regulator on Wednesday and insisted it was a "progressive gathering" with a "high level of engagement" from the grassroots to elite level.
"The role holds considerable importance, because should mistakes occur, if the football community fails, the extraordinary progress that's been made could disappear incredibly quickly," the regulator warned.
"Such an outcome is universally undesirable in the realm of domestic football is a substantial accomplishment - we've got to keep it going.
"There's an enormous amount of money coming into football and has come into football for the recent generations, because there are no assurances it will persist in entering the game, which is part of the rationale behind I think we have to take a really clear view on challenges and obviously, of the immediate future."
Premier League Concerns
Top flight officials resisted the creation of a regulator because of apprehensions regarding adverse consequences on the elite division's competitive balance, but Kogan said: "I fully support the success and growth as an economic entity of the elite league.
"As someone who appreciates the apprehension regarding damaging the division as a high-quality offering of England. But concurrently, if you talk to the Premier League after the recent gathering, they would have had a high level of reassurance -and, actually, they have been advising us privately they have a considerable comfort."
Ideological Links
The regulator remains subject to a "full inquiry" by the official appointments authority after he acknowledged providing funds to the Labour Party in the past.
The official donated money to government minister Lisa Nandy's leadership campaign, along with that of the current Prime Minister.
"I have been entirely transparent regarding my former ideological connection [with Labour], and that ideological connection terminated the day the official body endorsed my nomination," the regulator explained.
"I am no longer involved in any type of partisan engagement."
