'We will play a key role in football's future' - football oversight chief the new chairman
Sheffield Wednesday's current difficulties represent a a "major concern" and the independent regulator is seeking powers to investigate clubs in such situations, the newly appointed chairman David Kogan has announced.
Through a comprehensive talk, the chairman, who was named to the position this week, expressed "sympathy" towards Wednesday's fanbase.
The chairman convened with four fan organizations connected to the South Yorkshire club 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.
"Evidently Wednesday represents a serious issue for football authorities and a major challenge for the sport," the regulator explained.
"The club represents one of the iconic names for English football and this week we have met supporters' organizations.
"We're now looking to get powers... which will enable us to take the club and similar situations brought to our attention if they need to be investigated and dealt with."
Monetary Issues and Ownership Situation
The club's controversial proprietor the current owner suggested earlier this year he would be open to selling the club at Hillsborough, but he has not been able to secure a deal with prospective buyers.
Missed wage deadlines on time in earlier this year resulted in restrictions being imposed by the English Football League (EFL) in summer, blocking the team from conducting any transfers or loans for the next three transfer windows, although those limitations were removed in August.
Official's Viewpoint
The regulator explained: "The position was created for the supporters of Wednesday, other clubs in similar situations where people are committed to a regional establishment that has represented their community in multiple situations.
"I completely understand Sheffield Wednesday, as I do for every team that over recent decades have faced collapse, or approached financial ruin, for causes separate from the fans themselves."
Questioned about whether the authority might compel an owner to sell a club if they are considered unfit, the chairman responded: "When asking whether 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the reply is once we collect the information and understand the situation, we will."
But the regulator clarified that compelling proprietors to divest clubs would be viewed as the ultimate measure and the authority would rather to cooperate with proprietors.
"The last thing what we want to do is commence engagement with an individual club, an individual owner, without being able to work with that proprietor to address the issues that the club's facing and the proprietor's dealing with," Kogan said.
"However, realistically, when you look back over the history of the game, over the past few decades there have been some owners, not many, but some who have been irresponsible in the way which they've been managing their clubs and ultimately don't wish to take responsibility for the long-term prospects."
Sheffield Wednesday supporters have been demonstrating against the current proprietor during the current campaign
'Mistakes could erase significant advances'
Kogan met with delegates from multiple organizations to explain the responsibilities of the authority recently and stated it constituted a "progressive gathering" with a "substantial involvement" from the National League to the Premier League.
"It's a job that's actually really important, because if we get it wrong, if the world of football gets it wrong, the extraordinary progress that's been made could disappear incredibly quickly," 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 coming into football and has come into football for the recent generations, because certainty is lacking it will keep flowing into the sport, which is one of the reasons why I think we have to take a really clear view on risk and of course, of the coming seasons."
Elite Division Worries
The Premier League opposed the creation of a regulator because of fears of a negative impact on the elite division's competitive balance, but the chairman responded: "I completely endorse the prosperity and expansion as an commercial operation of the top division.
"As someone who appreciates the concern of undermining the division as a high-quality offering of this country. But concurrently, if you talk to the Premier League after today's meeting, they would have had a substantial amount of confidence -and, actually, they have been advising us privately they have a high level of reassurance."
Partisan Associations
The regulator remains subject to a "comprehensive investigation" by the official appointments authority after he revealed he contributed money to the Labour Party in recent years.
The official provided financial support for Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport the minister's leadership bid, along with that of the current Prime Minister.
"I have been entirely transparent regarding my past party membership [with Labour], and that ideological connection terminated the day the select committee approved my appointment," the chairman stated.
"I currently have no participation in any sort of politics."
