'We will play a key role in football's future' - independent football regulator the regulator's chair
Sheffield Wednesday's ongoing struggles are seen as a "major concern" and the football regulator is seeking powers to look into club affairs in such situations, its new chair David Kogan has stated.
Through a comprehensive talk, Kogan, who was named to the position this week, voiced concern towards the club's followers.
Kogan met with four supporter groups representing the football team this week.
The Championship side have been struggling on and off the field in this season, with the club delaying salary disbursements on five separate occasions, including in last month.
"Clearly Sheffield Wednesday has been a serious issue for football authorities and a significant problem for football," the chairman stated.
"Wednesday stands as one of the great brands for football in England and recently we have met Sheffield Wednesday supporters' groups.
"We are seeking authority... which will enable us to take Sheffield Wednesday - and other clubs submitted for our review if they need to be investigated and addressed."
Monetary Issues and Leadership Concerns
Wednesday's embattled owner the current owner stated during the off-season he would be willing to sell up at the stadium, but he has not been able to secure a deal with interested parties.
Delayed salary payments on time in spring months resulted in restrictions being imposed by the English Football League (EFL) in June, blocking the team from conducting any recruitment activities for the following recruitment periods, although the ban was rescinded in the end of the transfer window.
Authority's Position
The chairman stated: "The job [of the regulator] is there for the fans of Sheffield Wednesday, other clubs in similar situations where fans are dedicated to a local institution that has existed throughout their lifetimes in many cases.
"I fully appreciate Sheffield Wednesday, as I do for every team that since 1992 have gone to the wall, or approached financial ruin, for reasons that have nothing to do with the supporters."
Inquired if the authority might compel an chairman to relinquish a club if they are considered unfit, the regulator answered: "When asking whether 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the answer is 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 authority would rather to collaborate with owners.
"The last thing what we want to do is commence engagement with an individual club, an individual owner, without having the opportunity to collaborate with that owner to try and resolve the problems affecting the organization and the chairman's encountering," 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, not many, but particular people who have shown negligence in the approach they have taken toward their clubs and ultimately refuse to accept accountability for the future."
Owls fans have been protesting against owner Dejphon Chansiri this season
'Mistakes could erase significant advances'
The chairman convened with delegates from multiple organizations to explain the responsibilities of the authority recently and maintained it represented a "proactive meeting" with a "substantial involvement" from the grassroots to elite level.
"It's a job that's actually really important, because should mistakes occur, if the football community fails, the significant advances achieved necessary will vanish rapidly," Kogan said.
"This represents everyone's worst fear in the realm of domestic football is a major achievement - we need to continue the progress.
"Substantial financial resources flowing into the game and has been channeled for the last 20 or 25 years, because there are no assurances it will continue to come into football, which is one of the reasons why I think we have to maintain a focused outlook on potential dangers and naturally, of the next two or three years."
Top Flight Apprehensions
Top flight officials resisted the creation of a regulator because of concerns about detrimental effects on the elite division's competitive balance, but Kogan said: "I fully support the prosperity and expansion as an economic entity of the top division.
"I of all people understand the apprehension regarding damaging the top flight as an elite competition of England. But concurrently, if you consult with top flight officials after the recent gathering, they would have had a substantial amount of confidence -and, indeed, they have been informing us confidentially they have a significant confidence."
Partisan Associations
Kogan is still facing a "comprehensive investigation" by the public appointments commissioner after he acknowledged providing funds to the Labour Party in recent years.
The official provided financial support for government minister the minister's leadership bid, along with that of the government leader.
"I've been completely open about my past party membership [with Labour], and that political affiliation came to an end the day the official body endorsed my nomination," Kogan said.
"I am no longer involved in any type of partisan engagement."
