'We will play a key role in football's future' - newly appointed regulator David Kogan
The Championship club's persistent issues are seen as a "major concern" and the new football authority is seeking powers to look into club affairs in similar circumstances, its new chair David Kogan has declared.
In a wide-ranging interview, the regulator, who was named to the position this week, voiced concern towards the club's followers.
Kogan met with four supporters' associations connected to the Championship side recently.
The football club have been facing challenges both on and off the pitch in this season, with the club missing wage payments on multiple instances, including in September.
"Evidently Wednesday represents a serious issue for football authorities and a substantial concern for English football," the chairman stated.
"Wednesday stands as one of the historic institutions for football in England and recently we have met Sheffield Wednesday supporters' groups.
"Our aim is to acquire the ability... which will enable us to take Wednesday and comparable cases referred to us if they need to be investigated and acted upon."
Economic Challenges and Leadership Concerns
Wednesday's embattled owner Dejphon Chansiri stated during the off-season he would be willing to sell up at their home ground, but he has not been able to secure a deal with prospective buyers.
Failure to pay player wages on time in earlier this year led to sanctions by the league officials in summer, preventing the club from carrying out any player acquisitions for the next three transfer windows, although the ban was rescinded in the end of the transfer window.
Official's Viewpoint
The chairman stated: "Our role exists to serve the Owls followers, other clubs in similar situations where supporters are loyal to a local institution that has been part of their lives in many cases.
"I have absolute sympathy for Sheffield Wednesday, as I do for all the clubs that since 1992 have gone to the wall, or nearly ceased operations, for causes separate from the followers."
Questioned about whether the regulator could force 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 gather the evidence and understand the situation, we will."
But Kogan stressed that compelling proprietors to divest clubs would be viewed as the ultimate measure and the oversight body would choose to cooperate with proprietors.
"The final option we would consider is commence engagement with an individual club, an individual owner, without having the opportunity to collaborate with that owner to try and resolve the challenges confronting the team and the owner's facing," Kogan said.
"However, realistically, when you look back over the history of the sport, over the last 20 or 30 years there have been some owners, a small minority, but particular people who have shown negligence in the way which they've been managing their clubs and ultimately decline to assume obligation for the future."
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 explain the responsibilities of the authority recently and maintained it represented a "forward-thinking discussion" with a "substantial involvement" from the lower divisions to the top flight.
"It's a job that's actually really important, because if we get it wrong, if the world of football gets it wrong, the significant advances achieved could disappear incredibly quickly," Kogan said.
"And that's what nobody wants in the terms of English football is a substantial accomplishment - we've got to keep it going.
"Substantial financial resources coming into football and has been channeled for the recent generations, because there's no guarantee it will continue to come into football, which is among the factors explaining I think we have to take a really clear view on challenges and obviously, of the next two or three years."
Top Flight Apprehensions
Elite division representatives objected to the establishment of an oversight body because of fears of a negative impact on the Premier League's sporting equality, but the regulator stated: "I fully support the achievement and development as an commercial operation of the elite league.
"I of all people understand the apprehension regarding damaging the top flight as an elite competition of the nation. But at the same time, if you engage with division representatives after today's meeting, they would have had a significant degree of comfort -and, in fact, they have been telling us in private they have a considerable comfort."
Political Connections
Kogan is still facing a "comprehensive investigation" by the official appointments authority after he disclosed making donations to the Labour Party in the past.
The chairman donated money to government minister the politician's campaign, along with that of the government leader.
"I have been entirely transparent regarding my former ideological connection [with Labour], and that political affiliation came to an end the day the select committee approved my appointment," Kogan said.
"I currently have no participation in any type of partisan engagement."
