'We are going to be a part of football's future' - football oversight chief the new chairman
The Championship club's current difficulties represent a a "significant problem" and the independent regulator is seeking powers to investigate clubs in comparable cases, the recently named head the official has declared.
During an extensive discussion, the regulator, who was appointed on Monday, expressed "sympathy" towards the club's followers.
Kogan met with four supporter groups connected to the football team recently.
The team have been facing challenges both on and off the pitch in the current year, with the club missing wage payments on several different times, including in the autumn.
"Obviously the club has become a serious issue for football authorities and a significant problem for football," the regulator explained.
"The club represents one of the great brands for the English game and this week we have met fan representatives.
"Our aim is to acquire the ability... which will permit us to bring Sheffield Wednesday - and other clubs brought to our attention if they warrant scrutiny and addressed."
Financial Struggles and Proprietorship Status
The club's controversial proprietor the Thai businessman indicated in the summer he would be open to selling the club at the stadium, but he has been unable to finalize an agreement with prospective buyers.
Delayed salary payments on time in earlier this year led to sanctions by the league officials in June, blocking the team from conducting any recruitment activities for the following recruitment periods, although those limitations were removed in the end of the transfer window.
Authority's Position
Kogan said: "The job [of the regulator] is there for the supporters of Wednesday, other clubs in similar situations where supporters are loyal to a community organization that has represented their community in numerous instances.
"I completely understand Sheffield Wednesday, as I do for each organization that over recent decades have faced collapse, or approached financial ruin, for reasons that have nothing to do with the supporters."
Questioned about whether the authority might compel an owner to sell a club if they are deemed unsuitable, the regulator answered: "When asking whether 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the response would be once we collect the information and understand the situation, we will."
But the chairman emphasized that requiring chairmen to relinquish clubs would be treated as a "last resort" and the authority would rather to work with them.
"Our least desirable course of action is start getting involved with an individual club, an individual owner, without being in a position to cooperate with that owner to try and resolve the issues that the club's facing and the chairman's encountering," the chairman stated.
"But the truth is, when you examine the past of the sport, over the recent generations there have been some owners, not many, but some who have been irresponsible in the manner they have operated their organizations and finally decline to assume obligation for the future."
Wednesday followers have been voicing opposition to the current proprietor this season
'Mistakes could erase significant advances'
The regulator engaged delegates from multiple organizations to lay out the remit of the oversight body this week and insisted it was a "forward-thinking discussion" with a "high level of engagement" from the grassroots to elite level.
"It's a job that's actually really important, because should mistakes occur, if the sport makes errors, the extraordinary progress that's been made might evaporate swiftly," the chairman stated.
"And that's what nobody wants in the context of the English game is a major achievement - we've got to keep it going.
"Substantial financial resources coming into football and has been channeled for the last 20 or 25 years, because there are no assurances 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."
Top Flight Apprehensions
Elite division representatives objected to the formation of an authority because of fears of a negative impact on the top-flight's competitiveness, but the regulator stated: "I fully support the prosperity and expansion as an financial organization of the top division.
"I of all people understand the apprehension regarding damaging the Premier League as a premium product of England. But at the same time, if you engage with division representatives after this week's discussion, they would have had a significant degree of comfort -and, actually, they have been telling us in private they have a high level of reassurance."
Political Connections
The regulator remains subject to a "comprehensive investigation" by the Commissioner for Public Appointments after he revealed he contributed money to the political party in recent years.
The official contributed funds to Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport the politician's campaign, along with that of the current Prime Minister.
"I have fully disclosed my former ideological connection [with Labour], and that political affiliation came to an end the day the select committee approved my appointment," the regulator explained.
"I am presently disconnected from any type of partisan engagement."
