'We are going to be a part of football's future' - football oversight chief the new chairman
The Championship club's current difficulties constitute a "serious issue" and the football regulator is seeking powers to investigate clubs in such situations, the newly appointed chairman the regulator has stated.
In a wide-ranging interview, Kogan, who was named to the position this week, showed understanding towards Wednesday's fanbase.
The regulator engaged with four fan organizations associated with the Championship side recently.
The team have been struggling on and off the field in the current year, with the club delaying salary disbursements on multiple instances, including in the autumn.
"Evidently Wednesday represents a serious issue for football authorities and a major challenge for the sport," the chairman stated.
"Wednesday stands as one of the historic institutions for the English game and this week we have met fan representatives.
"We are seeking authority... which will enable us to take Wednesday and comparable cases submitted for our review if they warrant scrutiny and acted upon."
Economic Challenges and Leadership Concerns
Wednesday's embattled owner the current owner indicated in the summer he would be open to selling the club at their home ground, but he has failed to complete a sale with prospective buyers.
Failure to pay player wages on time in spring months resulted in restrictions being imposed by the league officials in summer, preventing the club from carrying out any player acquisitions for the next three transfer windows, although that restriction was lifted in late summer.
Regulator's Perspective
The regulator explained: "The job [of the regulator] is there for the Owls followers, other clubs in similar situations where supporters are loyal to a regional establishment that has been part of their lives in many cases.
"I fully appreciate Sheffield Wednesday, as I do for each organization that since 1992 have gone to the wall, or approached financial ruin, for causes separate from the supporters."
When asked if the oversight body could require an owner to sell a club if they are considered unfit, the chairman responded: "When asking whether 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the response would be once we assemble the facts and know what's going on, we will."
But Kogan stressed that forcing owners to sell clubs would be considered the final option and the regulator would prefer to work with them.
"The final option we would consider is commence engagement with an specific team, an specific proprietor, without having the opportunity to collaborate with that proprietor to address the issues that the club's facing and the proprietor's dealing with," the chairman stated.
"In actuality, when you examine the past of football, over the recent generations there have been some owners, few in number, but certain individuals who have acted carelessly in the manner they have operated their organizations and finally refuse to accept accountability for the future."
Owls fans have been demonstrating against owner Dejphon Chansiri during the current campaign
'Mistakes could erase significant advances'
The regulator engaged delegates from multiple organizations to lay out the remit of the regulator on Wednesday and maintained it represented a "proactive meeting" with a "high level of engagement" from the National League to the Premier League.
"It's a job that's actually really important, because if we get it wrong, if the football community fails, the extraordinary progress that's been made necessary will vanish rapidly," the regulator warned.
"And that's what nobody wants in the context of the English game is a huge success story - we need to continue the progress.
"There's an enormous amount of money entering the sport and has been channeled for the last 20 or 25 years, because certainty is lacking it will persist in entering the game, which is part of the rationale behind I think we have to take a really clear view on challenges and obviously, of the immediate future."
Premier League Concerns
Top flight officials resisted the creation of a regulator because of concerns about detrimental effects on the Premier League's sporting equality, but the chairman responded: "I completely endorse the achievement and development as an financial organization of the top division.
"As someone who appreciates the concern of undermining the division as a high-quality offering of the nation. But at the same time, if you engage with division representatives after this week's discussion, they would have had a high level of reassurance -and, in fact, 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 revealed he contributed money to the Labour Party in the past.
The 68-year-old contributed funds to Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport the minister's leadership bid, along with that of the government leader.
"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 regulator explained.
"I am presently disconnected from any type of partisan engagement."
