'We are going to be a part of football's future' - newly appointed regulator the regulator's chair
Sheffield Wednesday's current difficulties are seen as a "serious issue" and the independent regulator is looking to gain the ability to examine team situations in comparable cases, its new chair David Kogan has stated.
In a wide-ranging interview, Kogan, who was named to the position this week, expressed "sympathy" towards Wednesday's fanbase.
The chairman convened with four supporters' associations associated with the South Yorkshire club in recent days.
The football club have been facing challenges both on and off the pitch in this season, with the club delaying salary disbursements on five separate occasions, including in the autumn.
"Clearly Sheffield Wednesday has been a major concern for the league and a significant problem for football," the regulator explained.
"The club represents one of the iconic names for English football and in recent days we have met fan representatives.
"Our aim is to acquire the ability... which will allow us to have the club and similar situations brought to our attention if they warrant scrutiny and dealt with."
Financial Struggles and Ownership Situation
The team's struggling chairman the current owner suggested earlier this year he would be open to selling the club at the stadium, but he has not been able to secure a deal with prospective buyers.
Failure to pay player wages on time in earlier this year led to sanctions by the English Football League (EFL) in June, preventing the club from carrying out any transfers or loans for the following recruitment periods, although the ban was rescinded in August.
Official's Viewpoint
The regulator explained: "The job [of the regulator] is there for the supporters of Wednesday, Bury or any football club where fans are dedicated to a local institution that has existed throughout their lifetimes in many cases.
"I fully appreciate Sheffield Wednesday, as I do for all the clubs that over recent decades have faced collapse, or been close to going to the wall, for factors unrelated to the fans themselves."
When asked if the regulator could force an owner to sell a club if they are considered unfit, Kogan said: "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 forcing owners to sell clubs would be treated as a "last resort" and the oversight body would choose to collaborate with owners.
"The last thing what we want to do is commence engagement with an individual club, an particular chairman, without being able to work with that proprietor to address the issues that the club's facing and the proprietor's dealing with," Kogan said.
"In actuality, when you look back over the history of the game, over the past few decades there have been some owners, few in number, but certain individuals who have acted carelessly in the approach they have taken toward their teams and eventually don't wish to take responsibility for the future."
Owls fans have been voicing opposition to the current proprietor in recent months
'If we get it wrong, extraordinary progress vanishes'
The chairman convened with representatives from 110 clubs to explain the responsibilities of the regulator on Wednesday and maintained it represented a "proactive meeting" 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 necessary will vanish rapidly," Kogan said.
"And that's what nobody wants in the context of the English game is a huge success story - we need to continue the progress.
"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 continue to come into football, 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."
Premier League Concerns
Elite division representatives objected to the establishment of an oversight body because of concerns about detrimental effects on the elite division's competitive balance, but the regulator stated: "I fully support the achievement and development as an commercial operation of the Premier League.
"As someone who appreciates the concern of undermining the division as a high-quality offering of this country. But at the same time, if you consult with top flight officials after the recent gathering, they would have had a high level of reassurance -and, actually, they have been advising us privately they have a considerable comfort."
Ideological Links
The regulator remains subject to a "comprehensive investigation" by the Commissioner for Public Appointments after he revealed he contributed money to the Labour Party in recent years.
The chairman provided financial support for government minister Lisa Nandy's leadership campaign, along with that of the government leader.
"I've been completely open about my past party membership [with Labour], and that ideological connection terminated the day the official body endorsed my nomination," the regulator explained.
"I am no longer involved in any sort of politics."
