'Our role is integral to football's future' - independent football regulator David Kogan
The Championship club's ongoing struggles represent a a "significant problem" and the new football authority is looking to gain the ability to look into club affairs in similar circumstances, its new chair the regulator has stated.
In a wide-ranging interview, the regulator, who was appointed on Monday, expressed "sympathy" towards supporters of the Owls.
Kogan met with four fan organizations associated with the Championship side this week.
The Championship side have been experiencing difficulties in multiple areas in this season, with the club missing wage payments on five separate occasions, including in last month.
"Obviously the club has become a major concern for the league and a significant problem for football," Kogan told.
"Wednesday stands as one of the iconic names for the English game and this week we have met supporters' organizations.
"We're now looking to get powers... which will enable us to take Sheffield Wednesday - and other clubs referred to us if they warrant scrutiny and acted upon."
Financial Struggles and Ownership Situation
The team's struggling chairman Dejphon Chansiri indicated in the summer he would be willing to sell up at their home ground, but he has been unable to finalize an agreement with potential new owners.
Delayed salary payments on time in earlier this year resulted in restrictions being imposed by the league officials in mid-year, preventing the club from carrying out any transfers or loans for the next three transfer windows, although those limitations were removed in late summer.
Regulator's Perspective
Kogan said: "Our role exists to serve the supporters of Wednesday, teams facing challenges where fans are dedicated to a community organization that has been part of their lives in multiple situations.
"I completely understand the club's situation, as I do for each organization that over recent decades have faced collapse, or approached financial ruin, for causes separate from the fans themselves."
When asked if the regulator could force an owner to sell a club if they are considered unfit, Kogan said: "Should the inquiry concern 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the answer is once we collect the information and comprehend the circumstances, we will."
But the regulator clarified that compelling proprietors to divest clubs would be treated as a "last resort" and the oversight body would choose to work with them.
"The last thing what we want to do is commence engagement with an individual club, an individual owner, without being in a position to cooperate with that chairman to fix the problems affecting the organization and the chairman's encountering," Kogan said.
"However, realistically, when you examine the past of the game, over the recent generations there have been particular chairmen, a small minority, but some who have been irresponsible in the way which they've been managing their organizations and finally refuse to accept accountability for the coming years."
Wednesday followers have been demonstrating against the current proprietor in recent months
'If we get it wrong, extraordinary progress vanishes'
Kogan met with delegates from multiple organizations 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.
"This position carries substantial significance, because if errors are made, if the sport makes errors, the extraordinary progress that's been made might evaporate incredibly quickly," the chairman stated.
"And that's what nobody wants in the realm of domestic football is a substantial accomplishment - we must maintain momentum.
"Considerable investment coming into football and has come into football for the recent generations, because certainty is lacking it will persist in entering the game, which is among the factors explaining I think we have to maintain a focused outlook on challenges and obviously, of the immediate future."
Premier League Concerns
Top flight officials resisted the creation of a regulator because of concerns about detrimental effects on the Premier League's sporting equality, but Kogan said: "I'm absolutely committed to the success and growth as an financial organization of the elite league.
"Being fully aware of the worry about compromising the division as a high-quality offering of England. But at the same time, if you talk to the Premier League after the recent gathering, they would have had a significant degree of comfort -and, actually, they have been informing us confidentially they have a significant confidence."
Partisan Associations
The regulator remains subject to a "thorough examination" by the public appointments commissioner after he acknowledged providing funds to the opposition group in recent years.
The chairman contributed funds to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy's leadership campaign, along with that of the current Prime Minister.
"I have been entirely transparent regarding my past party membership [with Labour], and that political affiliation came to an end the day the select committee approved my appointment," the regulator explained.
"I currently have no participation in any form of political activity."
