'We will play a key role in football's future' - football oversight chief the regulator's chair
The Championship club's ongoing struggles are seen as a "significant problem" and the new football authority is aiming to acquire authority to examine team situations in similar circumstances, the newly appointed chairman 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 supporters' associations connected to the South Yorkshire club recently.
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.
"Obviously the club has become a major concern for the league and a substantial concern for English football," the regulator explained.
"The club represents one of the great brands for English football and this week we have met Sheffield Wednesday supporters' groups.
"We are seeking authority... which will allow us to have Sheffield Wednesday - and other clubs referred to us if they require examination and addressed."
Financial Struggles and Ownership Situation
The team's struggling chairman Dejphon Chansiri suggested earlier this year he would be willing to sell up at the stadium, but he has not been able to secure a deal with interested parties.
Failure to pay player wages on time in earlier this year caused limitations by the English Football League (EFL) in mid-year, stopping Wednesday from completing any player acquisitions for the following recruitment periods, although that restriction was lifted in late summer.
Official's Viewpoint
Kogan said: "Our role exists to serve the supporters of Wednesday, teams facing challenges where fans are dedicated to a community organization that has been part of their lives in many cases.
"I have absolute sympathy for Sheffield Wednesday, as I do for each organization that since 1992 have gone to the wall, or nearly ceased operations, for factors unrelated to the followers."
Questioned about whether the regulator could force an chairman to relinquish a club if they are considered unfit, the regulator answered: "If your question is 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the response would be once we gather the evidence and know what's going on, we will."
But the chairman emphasized that requiring chairmen to relinquish clubs would be viewed as the ultimate measure and the oversight body would choose to work with them.
"The last thing what we want to do is start getting involved with an specific team, an individual owner, without being able to work with that owner to try and resolve the problems affecting the organization and the owner's facing," Kogan said.
"But the truth is, when you examine the past of the sport, over the last 20 or 30 years there have been particular chairmen, few in number, but some who have been irresponsible in the way which they've been managing their organizations and finally don't wish to take responsibility for the coming years."
Wednesday followers have been protesting against the current proprietor during the current campaign
'Mistakes could erase significant advances'
The regulator engaged officials from numerous teams to lay out the remit of the oversight body this week and insisted it was a "forward-thinking discussion" with a "significant participation" from the lower divisions to the top flight.
"It's a job that's actually really important, because if we get it wrong, if the world of football gets it wrong, the extraordinary progress that's been made might evaporate swiftly," the chairman stated.
"Such an outcome is universally undesirable in the terms of English football is a huge success story - we need to continue the progress.
"There's an enormous amount of money flowing into the game and has come into football for the last 20 or 25 years, because there are no assurances it will keep flowing into the sport, which is one of the reasons why I think we have to maintain a focused outlook on risk and of course, of the next two or three years."
Elite Division Worries
Top flight officials resisted the creation of a regulator because of apprehensions regarding adverse consequences on the Premier League's sporting equality, but Kogan said: "I fully support the achievement and development as an financial organization of the top division.
"I of all people understand the concern of undermining the top flight as an elite competition of this country. But at the same time, if you talk to the Premier League after the recent gathering, they would have had a substantial amount of confidence -and, in fact, they have been informing us confidentially they have a significant confidence."
Ideological Links
Kogan is still facing a "thorough examination" by the official appointments authority after he revealed he contributed money to the political party in the past.
The official contributed funds to Culture Secretary the politician's campaign, along with that of the now Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
"I've been completely open about my past party membership [with Labour], and that political affiliation came to an end the day the parliamentary committee confirmed my selection," Kogan said.
"I currently have no participation in any sort of politics."
