'Our role is integral to football's future' - football oversight chief the new chairman
Sheffield Wednesday's current difficulties constitute a "major concern" and the independent regulator is seeking powers to examine team situations in such situations, the newly appointed chairman David Kogan has announced.
In a wide-ranging interview, the regulator, who was recently selected, showed understanding towards the club's followers.
Kogan met with four supporter groups representing the South Yorkshire club recently.
The Championship side have been experiencing difficulties in multiple areas in this season, with the club failing to pay players on time on several different times, including in September.
"Evidently Wednesday represents a serious issue for football authorities and a substantial concern for English football," Kogan told.
"Sheffield Wednesday is 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 enable us to take Wednesday and comparable cases referred to us if they require examination and addressed."
Monetary Issues and Proprietorship Status
The team's struggling chairman the Thai businessman stated during the off-season he would be open to selling the club at the stadium, but he has failed to complete a sale with interested parties.
Failure to pay player wages on time in March and May led to sanctions by the league officials in summer, stopping Wednesday from completing any player acquisitions for the next three transfer windows, although those limitations were removed in the end of the transfer window.
Regulator's Perspective
The chairman stated: "The position was created for the fans of Sheffield Wednesday, other clubs in similar situations where people are committed to a regional establishment that has existed throughout their lifetimes in numerous instances.
"I have absolute sympathy for the team's plight, as I do for all the clubs that over recent decades have faced collapse, or nearly ceased operations, for reasons that have nothing to do with the supporters."
Questioned about whether the oversight body could require an owner to sell a club if they are judged inappropriate, the regulator answered: "If your question is 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the answer is once we collect the information 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 cooperate with proprietors.
"The last thing what we want to do is commence engagement with an individual club, an individual owner, without being in a position to cooperate with that owner to try and resolve the challenges confronting the team and the owner's facing," Kogan said.
"But the truth is, when you examine the past of the sport, over the recent generations there have been certain proprietors, not many, but particular people who have shown negligence in the way which they've been managing their teams and eventually decline to assume obligation for the long-term prospects."
Sheffield Wednesday supporters have been voicing opposition to the team's chairman in recent months
'Mistakes could erase significant advances'
Kogan met with representatives from 110 clubs to explain the responsibilities of the authority recently and insisted it was a "forward-thinking discussion" with a "substantial involvement" from the lower divisions to the top flight.
"It's a job that's actually really important, because if errors are made, if the football community fails, the extraordinary progress that's been made could disappear swiftly," the regulator warned.
"And that's what nobody wants in the context of the English game is a major achievement - we've got to keep it going.
"Considerable investment flowing into the game and has been channeled for the past two decades, 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 risk and of course, of the coming seasons."
Premier League Concerns
Top flight officials resisted the establishment of an oversight body because of fears of a negative impact on the top-flight's competitiveness, but Kogan said: "I fully support the success and growth as an financial organization of the elite league.
"Being fully aware of the worry about compromising the Premier League as a premium product of this country. But at the same time, if you engage with division representatives 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 considerable comfort."
Partisan Associations
The chairman continues to confront a "full inquiry" by the official appointments authority after he disclosed making donations to the political party in recent years.
The chairman provided financial support for government minister the politician's campaign, along with that of the government leader.
"I have fully disclosed my past party membership [with Labour], and that political affiliation came to an end the day the select committee approved my appointment," Kogan said.
"I am presently disconnected from any form of political activity."
