'Our role is integral to football's future' - football oversight chief David Kogan
Sheffield Wednesday's ongoing struggles are seen as a "major concern" and the new football authority is seeking powers to investigate clubs in such situations, the recently named head the regulator has declared.
In a wide-ranging interview, the regulator, who was named to the position this week, expressed "sympathy" towards the club's followers.
The chairman convened with four fan organizations associated with the Championship side this week.
The football club have been struggling on and off the field in this season, with the club missing wage payments on several different times, including in the autumn.
"Obviously the club has become a major concern for the league and a major challenge for the sport," the regulator explained.
"The club represents one of the historic institutions for English football and recently we have met Sheffield Wednesday supporters' groups.
"We are seeking authority... which will permit us to bring the club and similar situations brought to our attention if they warrant scrutiny and dealt with."
Financial Struggles and Leadership Concerns
The club's controversial proprietor the current owner suggested earlier this year he would be willing to sell up at the stadium, but he has failed to complete a sale with prospective buyers.
Failure to pay player wages on time in spring months caused limitations by the English Football League (EFL) in June, stopping Wednesday from completing any player acquisitions for the next three transfer windows, although that restriction was lifted in late summer.
Regulator's Perspective
The chairman stated: "The job [of the regulator] is there for the Owls followers, teams facing challenges where fans are dedicated to a local institution that has existed throughout their lifetimes in many cases.
"I have absolute sympathy for the club's situation, as I do for every team that in modern times have encountered failure, or nearly ceased operations, for causes separate from the followers."
Inquired if the regulator could force an owner to sell a club if they are deemed unsuitable, the regulator answered: "If your question is 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the answer is once we assemble the facts and know what's going on, we will."
But Kogan stressed that requiring chairmen to relinquish clubs would be considered the final option and the oversight body would choose to work with them.
"The last thing what we want to do is begin intervening in an individual club, an individual owner, without having the opportunity to collaborate with that chairman to fix the issues that the club's facing and the proprietor's dealing with," the chairman stated.
"However, realistically, 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 approach they have taken toward their organizations and finally refuse to accept accountability for the long-term prospects."
Owls fans have been voicing opposition to the current proprietor this season
'If we get it wrong, extraordinary progress vanishes'
Kogan met with officials from numerous teams to detail the scope of the authority recently and insisted it was a "progressive gathering" with a "significant participation" from the grassroots to elite level.
"This position carries substantial significance, because if we get it wrong, if the football community fails, the extraordinary progress that's been made might evaporate rapidly," Kogan said.
"This represents everyone's worst fear in the context of the English game is a substantial accomplishment - we need to continue the progress.
"Substantial financial resources entering the sport and has been channeled for the past two decades, because there's no guarantee it will keep flowing into the sport, which is one of the reasons why I think we have to adopt a precise perspective on potential dangers and naturally, of the immediate future."
Elite Division Worries
The Premier League opposed the creation of a regulator because of fears of a negative impact on the elite division's competitive balance, but Kogan said: "I fully support the achievement and development as an commercial operation of the top division.
"Being fully aware of the concern of undermining the top flight as an elite competition of this country. But concurrently, if you consult with top flight officials after this week's discussion, they would have had a high level of reassurance -and, in fact, they have been telling us in private they have a significant confidence."
Political Connections
The regulator remains subject to a "full inquiry" by the Commissioner for Public Appointments after he disclosed making donations to the political party in recent years.
The 68-year-old donated money to government minister the politician's campaign, along with that of the now Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
"I have been entirely transparent regarding my previous political affiliation [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."
