'We will play a key role in football's future' - newly appointed regulator the regulator's chair
The team's current difficulties represent a a "significant problem" and the new football authority is aiming to acquire authority to investigate clubs in comparable cases, its new chair the regulator has stated.
In a wide-ranging interview, the regulator, who was appointed on Monday, showed understanding towards Wednesday's fanbase.
Kogan met with four fan organizations connected to the South Yorkshire club in recent days.
The team have been struggling on and off the field in the current year, with the club failing to pay players on time on five separate occasions, including in the autumn.
"Evidently Wednesday represents a serious issue for football authorities and a major challenge for the sport," the regulator explained.
"Wednesday stands as one of the great brands for English football and this week we have met fan representatives.
"We're now looking to get powers... which will permit us to bring the club and similar situations submitted for our review if they require examination and addressed."
Monetary Issues and Leadership Concerns
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 prospective buyers.
Delayed salary payments on time in spring months led to sanctions by the English Football League (EFL) in June, stopping Wednesday from completing any recruitment activities for the next three transfer windows, although that restriction was lifted in late summer.
Official's Viewpoint
The regulator explained: "The job [of the regulator] is there for the Owls followers, Bury or any football club where people are committed to a community organization that has represented their community in many cases.
"I have absolute sympathy for the team's plight, as I do for every team that since 1992 have gone to the wall, or approached financial ruin, for causes separate from the followers."
Inquired if the regulator could force an chairman to relinquish a club if they are deemed unsuitable, the chairman responded: "Should the inquiry concern 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the response would be once we collect the information and know what's going on, we will."
But Kogan stressed that compelling proprietors to divest clubs would be viewed as the ultimate measure and the oversight body would choose to work with them.
"Our least desirable course of action is commence engagement with an specific team, an specific proprietor, 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 look back over the history of the sport, over the past few decades there have been some owners, a small minority, but some who have been irresponsible in the manner they have operated their teams and eventually don't wish to take responsibility for the coming years."
Owls fans have been demonstrating against owner Dejphon Chansiri in recent months
'If we get it wrong, extraordinary progress vanishes'
The chairman convened with officials from numerous teams to detail the scope of the authority recently and insisted it was a "proactive meeting" with a "substantial involvement" from the grassroots to elite level.
"This position carries substantial significance, because if we get it wrong, if the world of football gets it wrong, the remarkable development accomplished might evaporate incredibly quickly," the chairman stated.
"Such an outcome is universally undesirable in the realm of domestic football is a major achievement - we need to continue the progress.
"Considerable investment coming into football and has been channeled for the recent generations, because there are no assurances it will keep flowing into the sport, which is one of the reasons why I think we have to take a really clear view on risk and of course, of the next two or three years."
Top Flight Apprehensions
Elite division representatives objected to the establishment of an oversight body because of apprehensions regarding adverse consequences on the elite division's competitive balance, but Kogan said: "I fully support the achievement and development as an economic entity of the Premier League.
"Being fully aware of the concern of undermining the Premier League as a premium product of the nation. But at the same time, if you talk to the Premier League after this week's discussion, they would have had a substantial amount of confidence -and, indeed, they have been advising us privately they have a high level of reassurance."
Ideological Links
The regulator remains subject to a "full inquiry" by the public appointments commissioner after he disclosed making donations to the political party in recent years.
The 68-year-old provided financial support for Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport the politician's campaign, along with that of the current Prime Minister.
"I've been completely open about my former ideological connection [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."
