'Our role is integral to football's future' - independent football regulator David Kogan
The Championship club's ongoing struggles represent a a "major concern" and the independent regulator is aiming to acquire authority to investigate clubs in such situations, the newly appointed chairman the official has declared.
During an extensive discussion, Kogan, who was named to the position this week, expressed "sympathy" towards Wednesday's fanbase.
Kogan met with four supporter groups representing the South Yorkshire club in recent days.
The team have been struggling on and off the field in the current year, with the club delaying salary disbursements on five separate occasions, 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 iconic names for the English game and in recent days we have met fan representatives.
"We're now looking to get powers... which will allow us to have the club and similar situations referred to us if they warrant scrutiny and acted upon."
Financial Struggles and Leadership Concerns
The team's struggling chairman the Thai businessman 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.
Missed wage deadlines on time in earlier this year caused limitations by the English Football League (EFL) in summer, stopping Wednesday from completing any player acquisitions for the next three transfer windows, although that restriction was lifted in the end of the transfer window.
Regulator's Perspective
The regulator explained: "Our role exists to serve the fans of Sheffield Wednesday, teams facing challenges where people are committed to a local institution that has represented their community in many cases.
"I fully appreciate the club's situation, as I do for each organization that over recent decades have faced collapse, or approached financial ruin, for factors unrelated to the followers."
Inquired if the authority might compel an proprietor to divest a club if they are deemed unsuitable, Kogan said: "When asking whether 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the response would be once we gather the evidence and understand the situation, we will."
But the regulator clarified that requiring chairmen to relinquish clubs would be considered the final option and the authority would rather to collaborate with owners.
"Our least desirable course of action is commence engagement with an particular organization, an particular chairman, without being in a position to cooperate with that chairman to fix the issues that the club's facing and the chairman's encountering," the chairman stated.
"But the truth is, when you look back over the history of the sport, over the past few decades there have been some owners, not many, but some who have been irresponsible in the approach they have taken toward their clubs and ultimately don't wish to take responsibility for the future."
Sheffield Wednesday supporters have been protesting against the current proprietor this season
'Errors may undo substantial development'
The chairman convened with representatives from 110 clubs to lay out the remit of the authority recently and stated it constituted a "progressive gathering" with a "substantial involvement" from the lower divisions to the top flight.
"This position carries substantial significance, because if we get it wrong, if the football community fails, the remarkable development accomplished necessary will vanish rapidly," the chairman stated.
"And that's what nobody wants in the terms of English football is a substantial accomplishment - we need to continue the progress.
"There's an enormous amount of money flowing into the game and has been invested for the past two decades, because there's no guarantee 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 potential dangers and naturally, of the immediate future."
Top Flight Apprehensions
The Premier League opposed the formation of an authority because of fears of a negative impact on the elite division's competitive balance, but the regulator stated: "I fully support the success and growth as an economic entity of the Premier League.
"Being fully aware of the apprehension regarding damaging the Premier League as a premium product of England. But concurrently, if you talk to the Premier League after the recent gathering, they would have had a high level of reassurance -and, in fact, they have been telling us in private they have a high level of reassurance."
Partisan Associations
The regulator remains subject to a "full inquiry" by the public appointments commissioner after he revealed he contributed money to the political party in the past.
The 68-year-old donated money to Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport the politician's campaign, along with that of the current Prime Minister.
"I have been entirely transparent regarding my former ideological connection [with Labour], and that political affiliation came to an end the day the parliamentary committee confirmed my selection," the chairman stated.
"I am no longer involved in any sort of politics."
