'We are going to be a part of football's future' - football oversight chief David Kogan
Sheffield Wednesday's current difficulties are seen as a "serious issue" and the new football authority is seeking powers to look into club affairs in such situations, its new chair the official has stated.
During an extensive discussion, the chairman, who was named to the position this week, voiced concern towards the club's followers.
Kogan met with four supporter groups connected to the football team in recent days.
The Championship side have been struggling on and off the field in the current year, with the club failing to pay players on time on five separate occasions, including in last month.
"Evidently Wednesday represents a serious issue for football authorities and a significant problem for football," the chairman stated.
"The club represents one of the great brands for the English game and recently we have met supporters' organizations.
"Our aim is to acquire the ability... which will allow us to have Wednesday and comparable cases submitted for our review if they require examination and acted upon."
Monetary Issues and Leadership Concerns
Wednesday's embattled owner the Thai businessman stated during the off-season he would be prepared to relinquish control at Hillsborough, but he has been unable to finalize an agreement with potential new owners.
Failure to pay player wages on time in earlier this year led to sanctions by the English Football League (EFL) in summer, stopping Wednesday from completing any player acquisitions for the next three transfer windows, although the ban was rescinded in August.
Authority's Position
Kogan said: "The position was created for the supporters of Wednesday, Bury or any football club where supporters are loyal to a community organization that has existed throughout their lifetimes in multiple situations.
"I have absolute sympathy for Sheffield Wednesday, as I do for every team that over recent decades have faced collapse, or approached financial ruin, for factors unrelated to the supporters."
When asked 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 response would be once we gather the evidence and comprehend the circumstances, we will."
But Kogan stressed that requiring chairmen to relinquish clubs would be considered the final option and the oversight body would choose to cooperate with proprietors.
"Our least desirable course of action is commence engagement with an particular organization, an individual owner, without being able to work with that proprietor to address the issues that the club's facing and the proprietor's dealing with," the regulator explained.
"But the truth is, when you examine the past of the sport, over the last 20 or 30 years there have been certain proprietors, a small minority, but some who have been irresponsible in the way which they've been managing their teams and eventually don't wish to take responsibility for the future."
Owls fans have been demonstrating against the team's chairman this season
'Errors may undo substantial development'
The chairman convened with representatives from 110 clubs to detail the scope of the authority recently and stated it constituted a "proactive meeting" with a "significant participation" from the lower divisions to the top flight.
"This position carries substantial significance, because if we get it wrong, if the sport makes errors, the extraordinary progress that's been made necessary will vanish swiftly," the regulator warned.
"Such an outcome is universally undesirable in the realm of domestic football is a major achievement - we've got to keep it going.
"Considerable investment coming into football and has been channeled for the last 20 or 25 years, because there's no guarantee it will continue to come into football, which is part of the rationale behind I think we have to maintain a focused outlook on potential dangers and naturally, of the next two or three years."
Premier League Concerns
Elite division representatives objected to the establishment of an oversight body because of fears of a negative impact on the elite division's competitive balance, but the regulator stated: "I'm absolutely committed to the achievement and development as an commercial operation of the elite league.
"Being fully aware of the worry about compromising the division as a high-quality offering of this country. 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, actually, they have been advising us privately they have a significant confidence."
Ideological Links
The chairman continues to confront a "thorough examination" by the official appointments authority after he acknowledged providing funds to the political party in the past.
The chairman provided financial support for Culture Secretary the minister's leadership bid, along with that of the now Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
"I have fully disclosed my previous political affiliation [with Labour], and that party membership ceased the day the select committee approved my appointment," the regulator explained.
"I am no longer involved in any sort of politics."
