'We will play a key role in football's future' - football oversight chief the new chairman
Sheffield Wednesday's current difficulties are seen as a "significant problem" and the new football authority is looking to gain the ability to examine team situations in similar circumstances, the recently named head the official has declared.
During an extensive discussion, the regulator, who was appointed on Monday, voiced concern towards supporters of the Owls.
The chairman convened with four supporter groups connected to the Championship side this week.
The Championship side 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 last month.
"Clearly Sheffield Wednesday has been a significant problem for EFL and a substantial concern for English football," Kogan told.
"Wednesday stands as one of the historic institutions for football in England and recently we have met Sheffield Wednesday supporters' groups.
"We are seeking authority... which will enable us to take Wednesday and comparable cases referred to us if they need to be investigated and dealt with."
Monetary Issues and Proprietorship Status
The team's struggling chairman the Thai businessman stated during the off-season he would be willing to sell up at their home ground, but he has been unable to finalize an agreement with interested parties.
Delayed salary payments on time in earlier this year led to sanctions by the football authorities in summer, stopping Wednesday from completing any recruitment activities for the subsequent signing windows, although that restriction was lifted in late summer.
Official's Viewpoint
Kogan said: "Our role exists to serve the Owls followers, other clubs in similar situations where supporters are loyal to a local institution that has represented their community in multiple situations.
"I completely understand the club's situation, as I do for every team that since 1992 have gone to the wall, or nearly ceased operations, for factors unrelated to the supporters."
When asked if the regulator could force an owner to sell a club if they are deemed unsuitable, Kogan said: "Should the inquiry concern 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the answer is once we collect the information and comprehend the circumstances, 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 work with them.
"The final option we would consider is commence engagement with an specific team, an individual owner, without being in a position to cooperate with that chairman to fix the challenges confronting the team and the chairman's encountering," the regulator explained.
"But the truth is, when you look back over the history of the sport, over the recent generations there have been particular chairmen, few in number, but some who have been irresponsible in the way which they've been managing their teams and eventually refuse to accept accountability for the future."
Sheffield Wednesday supporters have been protesting against the team's chairman 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 insisted it was a "forward-thinking discussion" with a "significant participation" from the grassroots to elite level.
"This position carries substantial significance, because should mistakes occur, if the world of football gets it wrong, the remarkable development accomplished necessary will vanish incredibly quickly," Kogan said.
"This represents everyone's worst fear in the realm of domestic football is a substantial accomplishment - we've got to keep it going.
"There's an enormous amount of money entering the sport and has been channeled for the recent generations, because there's no guarantee it will keep flowing into the sport, which is among the factors explaining I think we have to take a really clear view on challenges and obviously, of the coming seasons."
Premier League Concerns
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 chairman responded: "I fully support the prosperity and expansion as an commercial operation of the elite league.
"As someone who appreciates the worry about compromising the top flight as an elite competition of this country. But at the same time, if you engage with division representatives after today's meeting, they would have had a substantial amount of confidence -and, actually, they have been informing us confidentially they have a high level of reassurance."
Ideological Links
The regulator remains subject to a "thorough examination" by the official appointments authority after he acknowledged providing funds to the Labour Party in the past.
The chairman donated money to Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport the minister's leadership bid, along with that of the government leader.
"I've been completely open about my previous political affiliation [with Labour], and that political affiliation came to an end the day the parliamentary committee confirmed my selection," Kogan said.
"I am presently disconnected from any sort of politics."
