'We are going to be a part of football's future' - football oversight chief the new chairman
The Championship club's current difficulties constitute a "major concern" and the football regulator is aiming to acquire authority to investigate clubs in comparable cases, the newly appointed chairman David Kogan has stated.
In a wide-ranging interview, the regulator, who was appointed on Monday, expressed "sympathy" towards supporters of the Owls.
The chairman convened with four supporters' associations representing the football team in recent days.
The Championship side have been experiencing difficulties in multiple areas in the current year, with the club failing to pay players on time on five separate occasions, including in September.
"Evidently Wednesday represents a major concern for the league and a significant problem for football," the chairman stated.
"Wednesday stands as one of the iconic names for football in England and recently we have met fan representatives.
"Our aim is to acquire the ability... which will allow us to have Sheffield Wednesday - and other clubs brought to our attention if they require examination and acted upon."
Financial Struggles and Ownership Situation
The club's controversial proprietor Dejphon Chansiri suggested earlier this year he would be open to selling the club at Hillsborough, but he has been unable to finalize an agreement with potential new owners.
Failure to pay player wages on time in spring months resulted in restrictions being imposed by the league officials in mid-year, blocking the team from conducting any player acquisitions for the following recruitment periods, although that restriction was lifted in August.
Authority's Position
The chairman stated: "The position was created for the fans of Sheffield Wednesday, teams facing challenges where supporters are loyal to a community organization that has represented their community in many cases.
"I have absolute sympathy for 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 followers."
When asked if the regulator could force an chairman to relinquish a club if they are considered unfit, Kogan said: "When asking whether 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the answer is once we collect the information and comprehend the circumstances, we will."
But Kogan stressed that compelling proprietors to divest clubs would be treated as a "last resort" and the oversight body would choose to cooperate with proprietors.
"The final option we would consider is begin intervening in an individual club, an specific proprietor, without having the opportunity to collaborate with that owner to try and resolve the issues that the club's facing and the chairman's encountering," the chairman stated.
"In actuality, when you examine the past of the sport, over the last 20 or 30 years there have been some owners, few in number, but certain individuals who have acted carelessly in the approach they have taken toward their organizations and finally refuse to accept accountability for the long-term prospects."
Owls fans have been demonstrating against owner Dejphon Chansiri this season
'Errors may undo substantial development'
The chairman convened with representatives from 110 clubs to lay out the remit of the authority recently and stated it constituted a "forward-thinking discussion" with a "high level of engagement" from the grassroots to elite level.
"It's a job that's actually really important, because if errors are made, if the sport makes errors, the significant advances achieved could disappear swiftly," Kogan said.
"Such an outcome is universally undesirable in the context of the English game is a major achievement - we've got to keep it going.
"Substantial financial resources entering the sport and has come into football for the recent generations, because there are no assurances it will persist in entering the game, which is one of the reasons why I think we have to take a really clear view on risk and of course, of the next two or three years."
Elite Division Worries
Top flight officials resisted the establishment of an oversight body because of apprehensions regarding adverse consequences on the Premier League's sporting equality, but Kogan said: "I'm absolutely committed to the success and growth as an commercial operation of the top division.
"Being fully aware of the apprehension regarding damaging the Premier League as a premium product of England. But simultaneously, if you engage with division representatives after today's meeting, they would have had a substantial amount of confidence -and, in fact, they have been informing us confidentially they have a considerable comfort."
Political Connections
The chairman continues to confront a "comprehensive investigation" by the public appointments commissioner after he disclosed making donations to the opposition group in recent years.
The chairman provided financial support for Culture Secretary the politician's campaign, along with that of the government leader.
"I have fully disclosed my past party membership [with Labour], and that party membership ceased the day the parliamentary committee confirmed my selection," Kogan said.
"I am presently disconnected from any type of partisan engagement."
