'Our role is integral to football's future' - independent football regulator David Kogan
The team's current difficulties are seen as a "major concern" and the football regulator is aiming to acquire authority to examine team situations in comparable cases, the recently named head the official has stated.
In a wide-ranging interview, Kogan, who was appointed on Monday, showed understanding towards the club's followers.
Kogan met with four fan organizations connected to the Championship side in recent days.
The Championship side have been experiencing difficulties in multiple areas in the current year, with the club missing wage payments on multiple instances, including in September.
"Clearly Sheffield Wednesday has been a major concern for the league and a significant problem for football," the chairman stated.
"The club represents one of the great brands for English football and in recent days we have met fan representatives.
"We're now looking to get powers... which will allow us to have Wednesday and comparable cases submitted for our review if they need to be investigated and acted upon."
Financial Struggles and Proprietorship Status
Wednesday's embattled owner the Thai businessman suggested earlier this year he would be open to selling the club at the stadium, but he has failed to complete a sale with prospective buyers.
Delayed salary payments on time in earlier this year led to sanctions by the football authorities in summer, stopping Wednesday from completing any transfers or loans for the next three transfer windows, although those limitations were removed in late summer.
Regulator's Perspective
The regulator explained: "The job [of the regulator] is there for the fans of Sheffield Wednesday, teams facing challenges where people are committed to a regional establishment that has represented their community in many cases.
"I completely understand the team's plight, as I do for each organization that in modern times have encountered failure, or nearly ceased operations, for reasons that have nothing to do with the fans themselves."
Questioned about whether the authority might compel an owner to sell a club if they are judged inappropriate, Kogan said: "Should the inquiry concern 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the response would be once we collect the information and know what's going on, we will."
But the regulator clarified that forcing owners to sell clubs would be considered the final option and the regulator would prefer to cooperate with proprietors.
"The final option we would consider is commence engagement with an individual club, an individual owner, without being able to work with that proprietor to address the challenges confronting the team and the proprietor's dealing with," the chairman stated.
"However, realistically, when you look back over the history of the sport, over the last 20 or 30 years there have been particular chairmen, few in number, but particular people who have shown negligence in the approach they have taken toward their teams and eventually refuse to accept accountability for the future."
Sheffield Wednesday supporters have been voicing opposition to owner Dejphon Chansiri in recent months
'Errors may undo substantial development'
The chairman convened with representatives from 110 clubs to lay out the remit of the regulator on Wednesday and insisted it was a "proactive meeting" with a "high level of engagement" from the grassroots to elite level.
"The role holds considerable importance, because if errors are made, if the football community fails, the extraordinary progress that's been made could disappear rapidly," the chairman stated.
"And that's what nobody wants in the terms of English football is a major achievement - we need to continue the progress.
"There's an enormous amount of money coming into football and has been channeled for the recent generations, because there are no assurances it will persist in entering the game, 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 creation of a regulator because of apprehensions regarding adverse consequences on the top-flight's competitiveness, but Kogan said: "I fully support the prosperity and expansion as an financial organization of the elite league.
"Being fully aware of the worry about compromising the division as a high-quality offering of the nation. But simultaneously, if you engage with division representatives after the recent gathering, they would have had a substantial amount of confidence -and, in fact, they have been advising us privately they have a significant confidence."
Political Connections
Kogan is still facing a "full inquiry" by the public appointments commissioner after he acknowledged providing funds to the political party in recent years.
The official contributed funds to Culture Secretary the minister's leadership bid, 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 sort of politics."
