'We will play a key role in football's future' - independent football regulator the regulator's chair
Sheffield Wednesday's current difficulties are seen as a "significant problem" and the football regulator is aiming to acquire authority to examine team situations in similar circumstances, its new chair David Kogan has announced.
During an extensive discussion, the chairman, who was recently selected, expressed "sympathy" towards supporters of the Owls.
Kogan met with four supporter groups associated with the South Yorkshire club recently.
The Championship side have been facing challenges both on and off the pitch in the current year, with the club failing to pay players on time on multiple instances, including in the autumn.
"Evidently Wednesday represents a serious issue for football authorities and a major challenge for the sport," Kogan told.
"The club represents one of the great brands for the English game and this week we have met Sheffield Wednesday supporters' groups.
"We are seeking authority... which will enable us to take Wednesday and comparable cases brought to our attention if they need to be investigated and dealt with."
Economic Challenges and Ownership Situation
The club's controversial proprietor Dejphon Chansiri indicated in the summer he would be open to selling the club at the stadium, but he has been unable to finalize an agreement with potential new owners.
Delayed salary payments on time in earlier this year resulted in restrictions being imposed by the football authorities in mid-year, preventing the club from carrying out any transfers or loans for the next three transfer windows, although the ban was rescinded in late summer.
Authority's Position
Kogan said: "Our role exists to serve the supporters of Wednesday, teams facing challenges where supporters are loyal to a community organization that has represented their community in many cases.
"I completely understand the team's plight, as I do for all the clubs that in modern times have encountered failure, or approached financial ruin, for reasons that have nothing to do with the supporters."
When asked if the oversight body could require an owner to sell a club if they are judged inappropriate, the chairman responded: "When asking whether 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the answer is once we gather the evidence and know what's going on, we will."
But the chairman emphasized that forcing owners to sell clubs would be considered the final option and the regulator would prefer to work with them.
"The final option we would consider is begin intervening in an specific team, an individual owner, without being in a position to cooperate with that owner to try and resolve the challenges confronting the team and the owner's facing," the chairman stated.
"But the truth is, when you examine the past of football, over the last 20 or 30 years there have been particular chairmen, a small minority, but some who have been irresponsible in the manner they have operated their clubs and ultimately decline to assume obligation for the coming years."
Wednesday followers have been voicing opposition to owner Dejphon Chansiri during the current campaign
'If we get it wrong, extraordinary progress vanishes'
Kogan met with representatives from 110 clubs to detail the scope of the oversight body this week and stated it constituted a "proactive meeting" with a "significant participation" from the National League to the Premier League.
"This position carries substantial significance, because if errors are made, if the world of football gets it wrong, the significant advances achieved could disappear rapidly," the chairman stated.
"And that's what nobody wants in the realm of domestic football is a huge success story - we've got to keep it going.
"Considerable investment entering the sport and has been invested for the past two decades, because there are no assurances it will keep flowing into the sport, which is one of the reasons why I think we have to adopt a precise perspective on potential dangers and naturally, of the coming seasons."
Elite Division Worries
Elite division representatives objected to the creation of a regulator because of fears of a negative impact on the elite division's competitive balance, but the chairman responded: "I fully support the prosperity and expansion as an commercial operation of the Premier League.
"As someone who appreciates the worry about compromising the top flight as an elite competition of the nation. But concurrently, if you engage with division representatives after the recent gathering, they would have had a substantial amount of confidence -and, indeed, they have been telling us in private they have a significant confidence."
Partisan Associations
Kogan is still facing a "comprehensive investigation" by the public appointments commissioner after he disclosed making donations to the opposition group in the past.
The chairman donated money to government minister the politician's campaign, along with that of the current Prime Minister.
"I have fully disclosed my past party membership [with Labour], and that ideological connection terminated the day the parliamentary committee confirmed my selection," the regulator explained.
"I am presently disconnected from any form of political activity."
