'We are going to be a part of football's future' - independent football regulator the new chairman
Sheffield Wednesday's current difficulties represent a a "significant problem" and the new football authority is aiming to acquire authority to investigate clubs in comparable cases, the recently named head the official has stated.
In a wide-ranging interview, the regulator, who was appointed on Monday, showed understanding towards Wednesday's fanbase.
The regulator engaged with four fan organizations representing the football team in recent days.
The Championship side have been facing challenges both on and off the pitch in the current year, with the club delaying salary disbursements on several different times, including in the autumn.
"Evidently Wednesday represents a serious issue for football authorities and a significant problem for football," the chairman stated.
"Sheffield Wednesday is one of the historic institutions for football in England and in recent days we have met fan representatives.
"Our aim is to acquire the ability... which will allow us to have Wednesday and comparable cases brought to our attention if they require examination and addressed."
Financial Struggles and Ownership Situation
The team's struggling chairman the current owner stated during the off-season he would be prepared to relinquish control at their home ground, but he has not been able to secure a deal with interested parties.
Missed wage deadlines on time in March and May led to sanctions by the league officials in June, preventing the club from carrying out any recruitment activities for the next three transfer windows, although that restriction was lifted in August.
Official's Viewpoint
Kogan said: "Our role exists to serve the fans of Sheffield Wednesday, teams facing challenges where fans are dedicated to a local institution that has represented their community in numerous instances.
"I completely understand the team's plight, as I do for all the clubs that since 1992 have gone to the wall, or been close to going to the wall, for factors unrelated to the supporters."
Inquired if the regulator could force an owner to sell a club if they are deemed unsuitable, the chairman responded: "When asking whether 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the reply is once we assemble the facts and understand the situation, we will."
But Kogan stressed that requiring chairmen to relinquish clubs would be viewed as the ultimate measure and the oversight body would choose to cooperate with proprietors.
"The last thing what we want to do is start getting involved with an particular organization, an specific proprietor, without being in a position to cooperate with that owner to try and resolve the issues that the club's facing and the chairman's encountering," Kogan said.
"But the truth is, when you review the record of the sport, over the past few decades there have been certain proprietors, few in number, but certain individuals who have acted carelessly in the way which they've been managing their organizations and finally 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 regulator engaged officials from numerous teams to explain the responsibilities of the oversight body this week and maintained it represented a "proactive meeting" with a "substantial involvement" from the grassroots to elite level.
"The role holds considerable importance, because if errors are made, if the world of football gets it wrong, the significant advances achieved could disappear swiftly," Kogan said.
"Such an outcome is universally undesirable in the context of the English game is a huge success story - we must maintain momentum.
"Considerable investment coming into football and has come into football for the last 20 or 25 years, because certainty is lacking it will continue to come into football, which is among the factors explaining I think we have to maintain a focused outlook on challenges and obviously, of the immediate future."
Top Flight Apprehensions
Top flight officials resisted the creation of a regulator because of concerns about detrimental effects on the elite division's competitive balance, but the regulator stated: "I fully support the prosperity and expansion as an financial organization of the top division.
"Being fully aware of the concern of undermining the division as a high-quality offering of England. But concurrently, if you engage with division representatives after the recent gathering, they would have had a significant degree of comfort -and, in fact, they have been informing us confidentially they have a high level of reassurance."
Political Connections
Kogan is still facing a "full inquiry" by the official appointments authority after he disclosed making donations to the opposition group in the past.
The official contributed funds to Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport the minister's leadership bid, along with that of the current Prime Minister.
"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 form of political activity."