'We are going to be a part of football's future' - football oversight chief the regulator's chair
Sheffield Wednesday's ongoing struggles constitute a "major concern" and the new football authority is looking to gain the ability to investigate clubs in such situations, the newly appointed chairman David Kogan has declared.
In a wide-ranging interview, Kogan, who was appointed on Monday, expressed "sympathy" towards Wednesday's fanbase.
The chairman convened with four fan organizations representing the South Yorkshire club recently.
The team have been facing challenges both on and off the pitch in the current year, with the club failing to pay players on time on five separate occasions, including in September.
"Obviously the club has become a serious issue for football authorities and a major challenge for the sport," the chairman stated.
"Sheffield Wednesday is one of the great brands for football in England and in recent days we have met fan representatives.
"We're now looking to get powers... which will allow us to have Wednesday and comparable cases referred to us if they warrant scrutiny and dealt with."
Economic Challenges and Leadership Concerns
Wednesday's embattled owner Dejphon Chansiri stated during the off-season he would be willing to sell up at the stadium, but he has been unable to finalize an agreement with prospective buyers.
Failure to pay player wages on time in spring months resulted in restrictions being imposed by the football authorities in mid-year, preventing the club from carrying out any recruitment activities for the next three transfer windows, although those limitations were removed in late summer.
Authority's Position
Kogan said: "The position was created for the Owls followers, teams facing challenges where fans are dedicated to a local institution that has represented their community in multiple situations.
"I completely understand the team's plight, as I do for each organization 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 proprietor to divest a club if they are considered unfit, the chairman responded: "When asking whether 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the reply is once we assemble the facts and comprehend the circumstances, we will."
But the chairman emphasized that compelling proprietors to divest clubs would be treated as a "last resort" and the oversight body would choose to work with them.
"Our least desirable course of action is start getting involved with an individual club, an individual owner, without being able to work with that chairman to fix the challenges confronting the team and the owner's facing," the chairman stated.
"In actuality, when you examine the past of football, over the last 20 or 30 years there have been particular chairmen, not many, but particular people who have shown negligence in the approach they have taken toward their organizations and finally don't wish to take responsibility for the long-term prospects."
Wednesday followers have been demonstrating against the current proprietor in recent months
'Mistakes could erase significant advances'
The regulator engaged officials from numerous teams to detail the scope of the regulator on Wednesday and maintained it represented a "progressive gathering" with a "significant participation" from the National League to the Premier League.
"This position carries substantial significance, because if we get it wrong, if the sport makes errors, the remarkable development accomplished necessary will vanish rapidly," the regulator warned.
"This represents everyone's worst fear in the context of the English game is a major achievement - we must maintain momentum.
"Considerable investment coming into football and has been channeled for the recent generations, because certainty is lacking it will keep flowing into the sport, which is part of the rationale behind I think we have to maintain a focused outlook on potential dangers and naturally, of the coming seasons."
Top Flight Apprehensions
Top flight officials resisted the establishment of an oversight body because of fears of a negative impact on the top-flight's competitiveness, but the chairman responded: "I'm absolutely committed to the achievement and development as an commercial operation of the top division.
"I of all people understand the apprehension regarding damaging the division as a high-quality offering of England. 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 telling us in private they have a considerable comfort."
Partisan Associations
Kogan is still facing a "thorough examination" by the official appointments authority after he acknowledged providing funds to the Labour Party in recent years.
The chairman contributed funds to Culture Secretary the politician's campaign, along with that of the government leader.
"I've been completely open about my former ideological connection [with Labour], and that party membership ceased the day the official body endorsed my nomination," Kogan said.
"I currently have no participation in any sort of politics."
