'We are going to be a part of football's future' - independent football regulator the new chairman
The team's ongoing struggles are seen as a "serious issue" and the independent regulator is looking to gain the ability to investigate clubs in similar circumstances, its new chair the regulator has declared.
In a wide-ranging interview, Kogan, who was appointed on Monday, voiced concern towards the club's followers.
The chairman convened with four supporters' associations representing the South Yorkshire club recently.
The football club have been facing challenges both on and off the pitch in this season, with the club failing to pay players on time on five separate occasions, including in last month.
"Clearly Sheffield Wednesday has been a serious issue for football authorities and a major challenge for the sport," the regulator explained.
"Sheffield Wednesday is one of the iconic names for football in England and this week we have met Sheffield Wednesday supporters' groups.
"Our aim is to acquire the ability... which will allow us to have Sheffield Wednesday - and other clubs referred to us if they require examination and acted upon."
Financial Struggles and Leadership Concerns
The team's struggling chairman the current owner 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.
Missed wage deadlines on time in spring months resulted in restrictions being imposed by the football authorities in summer, stopping Wednesday from completing any recruitment activities for the subsequent signing windows, although the ban was rescinded in late summer.
Regulator's Perspective
The regulator explained: "The job [of the regulator] is there for the supporters of Wednesday, teams facing challenges where supporters are loyal to a community organization that has represented their community in numerous instances.
"I fully appreciate the team's plight, as I do for all the clubs that over recent decades have faced collapse, or approached financial ruin, for causes separate from the supporters."
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 assemble the facts and know what's going on, we will."
But the regulator clarified that requiring chairmen to relinquish clubs would be considered the final option and the regulator would prefer to cooperate with proprietors.
"Our least desirable course of action is begin intervening in an individual club, an particular chairman, without being able to work with that chairman to fix the issues that the club's facing and the proprietor's dealing with," the chairman stated.
"In actuality, when you look back over the history of the game, over the past few decades there have been particular chairmen, not many, but particular people who have shown negligence in the manner they have operated their clubs and ultimately don't wish to take responsibility for the long-term prospects."
Owls fans have been voicing opposition to the current proprietor in recent months
'Mistakes could erase significant advances'
The regulator engaged 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 lower divisions to the top flight.
"The role holds considerable importance, because if errors are made, if the world of football gets it wrong, the remarkable development accomplished necessary will vanish rapidly," Kogan said.
"And that's what nobody wants in the realm of domestic football is a major achievement - we must maintain momentum.
"There's an enormous amount of money coming into football and has been channeled for the last 20 or 25 years, because there's no guarantee it will keep flowing into the sport, which is part of the rationale behind I think we have to take a really clear view on challenges and obviously, of the next two or three years."
Premier League Concerns
Elite division representatives objected to the establishment of an oversight body because of apprehensions regarding adverse consequences on the elite division's competitive balance, but Kogan said: "I completely endorse the prosperity and expansion as an economic entity of the Premier League.
"Being fully aware of the worry about compromising the top flight as an elite competition of this country. But at the same time, if you talk to the Premier League after this week's discussion, 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 regulator remains subject to a "full inquiry" by the official appointments authority after he revealed he contributed money to the Labour Party in recent years.
The official donated money to Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport the minister's leadership bid, along with that of the government leader.
"I have fully disclosed my previous political affiliation [with Labour], and that ideological connection terminated the day the parliamentary committee confirmed my selection," the chairman stated.
"I am no longer involved in any sort of politics."
