'Our role is integral to football's future' - independent football regulator the regulator's chair
The team's ongoing struggles represent a a "serious issue" and the independent regulator is seeking powers to investigate clubs in similar circumstances, the recently named head the regulator has announced.
In a wide-ranging interview, the regulator, who was recently selected, expressed "sympathy" towards Wednesday's fanbase.
Kogan met with four supporters' associations representing the football team this week.
The team have been struggling on and off the field in this season, with the club missing wage payments on several different times, including in September.
"Obviously the club has become a serious issue for football authorities and a major challenge for the sport," Kogan told.
"Sheffield Wednesday is one of the iconic names for English football and in recent days we have met Sheffield Wednesday supporters' groups.
"We're now looking to get powers... which will permit us to bring Wednesday and comparable cases brought to our attention if they require examination and dealt with."
Economic Challenges and Ownership Situation
The team's struggling chairman Dejphon Chansiri suggested earlier this year he would be prepared to relinquish control at the stadium, but he has failed to complete a sale with prospective buyers.
Failure to pay player wages on time in March and May resulted in restrictions being imposed by the league officials in June, stopping Wednesday from completing any recruitment activities for the subsequent signing windows, although those limitations were removed in late summer.
Regulator's Perspective
The chairman stated: "Our role exists to serve the fans of Sheffield Wednesday, teams facing challenges where supporters are loyal to a community organization that has existed throughout their lifetimes in multiple situations.
"I have absolute sympathy for the club's situation, as I do for each organization that in modern times have encountered failure, or approached financial ruin, for factors unrelated to the followers."
Questioned about whether the oversight body could require an chairman to relinquish a club if they are judged inappropriate, Kogan said: "Should the inquiry concern 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the reply is once we collect the information and understand the situation, we will."
But the regulator clarified that forcing owners to sell clubs would be viewed as the ultimate measure and the authority would rather to cooperate with proprietors.
"Our least desirable course of action is commence engagement with an individual club, an particular chairman, without being able to work with that owner to try and resolve the challenges confronting the team and the proprietor's dealing with," Kogan said.
"However, realistically, when you examine the past of the sport, over the past few decades there have been certain proprietors, few in number, but particular people who have shown negligence in the approach they have taken toward their teams and eventually decline to assume obligation for the future."
Owls fans have been protesting against owner Dejphon Chansiri during the current campaign
'Errors may undo substantial development'
Kogan met with representatives from 110 clubs to explain the responsibilities of the regulator on Wednesday and stated it constituted a "forward-thinking discussion" with a "substantial involvement" from the National League to the Premier League.
"This position carries substantial significance, because should mistakes occur, if the football community fails, the significant advances achieved necessary will vanish rapidly," Kogan said.
"Such an outcome is universally undesirable in the terms of English football is a huge success story - we've got to keep it going.
"Considerable investment entering the sport and has come into football for the recent generations, because certainty is lacking it will continue to come into football, which is one of the reasons why I think we have to adopt a precise perspective on risk and of course, of the coming seasons."
Top Flight Apprehensions
The Premier League opposed the creation of a regulator because of concerns about detrimental effects on the top-flight's competitiveness, but the chairman responded: "I fully support the success and growth as an commercial operation of the top division.
"I of all people understand the apprehension regarding damaging the top flight as an elite competition of England. But concurrently, if you talk to the Premier League after today's meeting, they would have had a significant degree of comfort -and, indeed, they have been telling us in private they have a high level of reassurance."
Partisan Associations
The regulator remains subject to a "comprehensive investigation" by the Commissioner for Public Appointments after he disclosed making donations to the Labour Party in the past.
The official contributed funds to government minister Lisa Nandy's leadership campaign, along with that of the current Prime Minister.
"I've been completely open about my past party membership [with Labour], and that political affiliation came to an end the day the select committee approved my appointment," Kogan said.
"I am no longer involved in any type of partisan engagement."
