'We will play a key role in football's future' - football oversight chief the new chairman
Sheffield Wednesday's ongoing struggles constitute a "major concern" and the independent regulator is seeking powers to look into club affairs in comparable cases, its new chair the official has declared.
In a wide-ranging interview, the chairman, who was appointed on Monday, voiced concern towards the club's followers.
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 this season, with the club failing to pay players on time on several different times, including in last month.
"Clearly Sheffield Wednesday has been a significant problem for EFL and a major challenge for the sport," the chairman stated.
"The club represents one of the iconic names for the English game and recently we have met supporters' organizations.
"We're now looking to get powers... which will enable us to take Sheffield Wednesday - and other clubs submitted for our review if they require examination and acted upon."
Financial Struggles and Leadership Concerns
The club's controversial proprietor the Thai businessman stated during the off-season he would be prepared to relinquish control at the stadium, but he has failed to complete a sale with interested parties.
Failure to pay player wages on time in March and May led to sanctions by the football authorities in June, blocking the team from conducting any recruitment activities for the following recruitment periods, although those limitations were removed in August.
Authority's Position
The chairman stated: "The position was created for the supporters of Wednesday, other clubs in similar situations where people are committed to a community organization that has represented their community in numerous instances.
"I completely understand the team's plight, as I do for every team that in modern times have encountered failure, or been close to going to the wall, for reasons that have nothing to do with the fans themselves."
When asked if the oversight body could require an owner to sell a club if they are considered unfit, Kogan said: "If your question is 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the reply is once we gather the evidence and understand the situation, we will."
But the chairman emphasized that requiring chairmen to relinquish 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 commence engagement with an specific team, an specific proprietor, without being in a position to cooperate with that chairman to fix the problems affecting the organization and the proprietor's dealing with," the chairman stated.
"However, realistically, when you examine the past of the game, over the last 20 or 30 years there have been certain proprietors, a small minority, but some who have been irresponsible in the way which they've been managing their organizations and finally decline to assume obligation for the future."
Sheffield Wednesday supporters have been protesting against the team's chairman this season
'Errors may undo substantial development'
The chairman convened with delegates from multiple organizations to explain the responsibilities of the oversight body this week and maintained it represented a "progressive gathering" with a "significant participation" from the National League to the Premier League.
"It's a job that's actually really important, because should mistakes occur, if the sport makes errors, the extraordinary progress that's been made might evaporate incredibly quickly," the chairman stated.
"This represents everyone's worst fear in the terms of English football is a major achievement - we need to continue the progress.
"Substantial financial resources coming into football and has been invested for the past two decades, because there's no guarantee it will continue to come into football, which is part of the rationale behind I think we have to maintain a focused outlook on potential dangers and naturally, of the next two or three years."
Premier League Concerns
Top flight officials resisted the establishment of an oversight body because of apprehensions regarding adverse consequences on the top-flight's competitiveness, but the chairman responded: "I fully support the prosperity and expansion as an financial organization of the top division.
"Being fully aware of the apprehension regarding damaging the division as a high-quality offering of the nation. But concurrently, if you consult with top flight officials after today's meeting, they would have had a substantial amount of confidence -and, indeed, they have been informing us confidentially they have a considerable comfort."
Political Connections
The chairman continues to confront a "full inquiry" by the official appointments authority after he acknowledged providing funds to the Labour Party in the past.
The 68-year-old donated money to Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Lisa Nandy's leadership campaign, along with that of the government leader.
"I have fully disclosed my former ideological connection [with Labour], and that party membership ceased the day the select committee approved my appointment," Kogan said.
"I am presently disconnected from any sort of politics."
