'We will play a key role in football's future' - football oversight chief the new chairman
Sheffield Wednesday's ongoing struggles represent a a "significant problem" and the independent regulator is seeking powers to examine team situations in comparable cases, the newly appointed chairman David Kogan has announced.
During an extensive discussion, the chairman, who was recently selected, expressed "sympathy" towards Wednesday's fanbase.
The regulator engaged with four fan organizations connected to the football team this week.
The Championship side have been facing challenges both on and off the pitch in this season, with the club missing wage payments on several different times, including in the autumn.
"Obviously the club has become a serious issue for football authorities and a significant problem for football," Kogan told.
"The club represents 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 allow us to have Wednesday and comparable cases brought to our attention if they warrant scrutiny and acted upon."
Economic Challenges and Proprietorship Status
The club's controversial proprietor Dejphon Chansiri stated during the off-season he would be open to selling the club at Hillsborough, but he has failed to complete a sale with potential new owners.
Delayed salary payments on time in March and May resulted in restrictions being imposed by the league officials in June, preventing the club from carrying out any transfers or loans for the subsequent signing windows, although the ban was rescinded in late summer.
Official's Viewpoint
The regulator explained: "Our role exists to serve the fans of Sheffield Wednesday, Bury or any football club where fans are dedicated to a regional establishment that has represented their community 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 been close to going to the wall, for reasons that have nothing to do with the followers."
Questioned about whether the regulator could force an chairman to relinquish a club if they are deemed unsuitable, the chairman responded: "If your question is 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the response would be once we collect the information and know what's going on, 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.
"Our least desirable course of action is start getting involved with an specific team, an particular chairman, without having the opportunity to collaborate with that chairman to fix the challenges confronting the team and the proprietor's dealing with," Kogan said.
"In actuality, when you examine the past of the sport, over the last 20 or 30 years there have been certain proprietors, few in number, but certain individuals who have acted carelessly in the way which they've been managing their clubs and ultimately don't wish to take responsibility for the future."
Wednesday followers have been voicing opposition to the current proprietor in recent months
'Mistakes could erase significant advances'
The regulator engaged representatives from 110 clubs to detail the scope of the regulator on Wednesday and maintained it represented a "forward-thinking discussion" with a "high level of engagement" 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 swiftly," the regulator warned.
"And that's what nobody wants in the terms of English football is a substantial accomplishment - we've got to keep it going.
"There's an enormous amount of money coming into football and has been invested for the last 20 or 25 years, because there's no guarantee it will persist in entering the game, which is one of the reasons why I think we have to take a really clear view on risk and of course, of the immediate future."
Premier League Concerns
Top flight officials resisted the creation of a regulator because of apprehensions regarding adverse consequences on the top-flight's competitiveness, but the chairman responded: "I'm absolutely committed to the achievement and development as an commercial operation of the top division.
"Being fully aware of the concern of undermining the division as a high-quality offering of England. But simultaneously, if you consult with top flight officials after this week's discussion, they would have had a significant degree of comfort -and, actually, they have been telling us in private they have a considerable comfort."
Political Connections
The chairman continues to confront a "thorough examination" by the Commissioner for Public Appointments after he revealed he contributed money to the political party in the past.
The chairman provided financial support for government minister Lisa Nandy's leadership campaign, along with that of the current Prime Minister.
"I have fully disclosed 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."
