'Our role is integral to football's future' - independent football regulator the new chairman
Sheffield Wednesday's current difficulties represent a a "significant problem" and the football regulator is seeking powers to look into club affairs in such situations, the newly appointed chairman the official has announced.
In a wide-ranging interview, the regulator, who was recently selected, expressed "sympathy" towards Wednesday's fanbase.
Kogan met with four fan organizations associated with the Championship side recently.
The team have been experiencing difficulties in multiple areas in this season, with the club delaying salary disbursements on several different times, including in the autumn.
"Evidently Wednesday represents a major concern for the league and a substantial concern for English football," Kogan told.
"Sheffield Wednesday is one of the great brands for football in England and this week 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 acted upon."
Economic Challenges and Leadership Concerns
The team's struggling chairman Dejphon Chansiri indicated in the summer he would be open to selling the club at the stadium, but he has not been able to secure a deal with interested parties.
Failure to pay player wages on time in March and May resulted in restrictions being imposed by the football authorities in summer, preventing the club from carrying out any transfers or loans for the subsequent signing windows, although those limitations were removed in late summer.
Regulator's Perspective
Kogan said: "Our role exists to serve the fans of Sheffield Wednesday, Bury or any football club where supporters are loyal to a community organization that has represented their community in many cases.
"I have absolute sympathy for the club's situation, as I do for each organization that over recent decades have faced collapse, or been close to going to the wall, for reasons that have nothing to do with the supporters."
When asked 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 collect the information and know what's going on, we will."
But the regulator clarified that requiring chairmen to relinquish clubs would be viewed as the ultimate measure and the authority would rather to cooperate with proprietors.
"The final option we would consider is commence engagement with an individual club, an specific proprietor, 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 regulator explained.
"But the truth is, when you look back over the history of football, over the recent generations there have been some owners, a small minority, but some who have been irresponsible in the way which they've been managing their teams and eventually decline to assume obligation for the future."
Owls fans have been demonstrating against owner Dejphon Chansiri during the current campaign
'If we get it wrong, extraordinary progress vanishes'
The chairman convened with representatives from 110 clubs to lay out the remit of the regulator on Wednesday and maintained it represented a "progressive gathering" with a "substantial involvement" from the grassroots to elite level.
"The role holds considerable importance, because if we get it wrong, if the football community fails, the extraordinary progress that's been made necessary will vanish swiftly," Kogan said.
"This represents everyone's worst fear in the realm of domestic football is a huge success story - we must maintain momentum.
"Considerable investment entering the sport and has been channeled for the past two decades, because there are no assurances it will persist in entering the game, which is one of the reasons why I think we have to take a really clear view on potential dangers and naturally, of the coming seasons."
Top Flight Apprehensions
Elite division representatives objected to the creation of a regulator 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 economic entity of the Premier League.
"Being fully aware of the concern of undermining the division as a high-quality offering of England. But concurrently, if you engage with division representatives after today's meeting, they would have had a significant degree of comfort -and, indeed, they have been advising us privately they have a considerable comfort."
Ideological Links
The regulator remains subject to a "thorough examination" by the Commissioner for Public Appointments after he revealed he contributed money to the Labour Party in the past.
The chairman provided financial support for Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Lisa Nandy's leadership campaign, along with that of the now Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
"I've been completely open about my former ideological connection [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 form of political activity."