'We will play a key role in football's future' - independent football regulator the new chairman
The team's current difficulties represent a a "significant problem" and the football regulator is looking to gain the ability to investigate clubs in such situations, the newly appointed chairman the regulator has declared.
In a wide-ranging interview, the chairman, who was named to the position this week, showed understanding towards supporters of the Owls.
The chairman convened with four fan organizations associated with the South Yorkshire club in recent days.
The Championship side have been struggling on and off the field in this season, with the club failing to pay players on time on multiple instances, including in September.
"Clearly Sheffield Wednesday has been a major concern for the league and a major challenge for the sport," Kogan told.
"Wednesday stands as one of the historic institutions for English football and recently we have met fan representatives.
"Our aim is to acquire the ability... which will allow us to have Sheffield Wednesday - and other clubs submitted for our review if they need to be investigated and addressed."
Financial Struggles and Proprietorship Status
Wednesday's embattled owner Dejphon Chansiri suggested earlier this year he would be willing to sell up at their home ground, but he has been unable to finalize an agreement with prospective buyers.
Failure to pay player wages on time in March and May caused limitations by the league officials in mid-year, preventing the club from carrying out any transfers or loans for the subsequent signing windows, although that restriction was lifted in the end of the transfer window.
Authority's Position
Kogan said: "The position was created for the Owls followers, other clubs in similar situations where supporters are loyal to a regional establishment that has existed throughout their lifetimes in many cases.
"I fully appreciate the club's situation, as I do for all the clubs that over recent decades have faced collapse, or approached financial ruin, for causes separate from the supporters."
Inquired if the regulator could force an proprietor to divest a club if they are judged inappropriate, the regulator answered: "When asking whether 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the response would be once we assemble the facts and know what's going on, we will."
But the chairman emphasized that requiring chairmen to relinquish clubs would be treated as a "last resort" and the regulator would prefer to work with them.
"Our least desirable course of action is begin intervening in 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 proprietor's dealing with," the regulator explained.
"In actuality, when you look back over the history of football, over the last 20 or 30 years there have been some owners, not many, but certain individuals who have acted carelessly in the manner they have operated their clubs and ultimately refuse to accept accountability for the future."
Wednesday followers have been protesting against the team's chairman during the current campaign
'Errors may undo substantial development'
The chairman convened with representatives from 110 clubs to explain the responsibilities of the authority recently and stated it constituted a "forward-thinking discussion" with a "substantial involvement" from the lower divisions to the top flight.
"The role holds considerable importance, because if we get it wrong, if the sport makes errors, the extraordinary progress that's been made necessary will vanish swiftly," Kogan said.
"And that's what nobody wants in the terms of English football is a huge success story - we've got to keep it going.
"There's an enormous amount of money flowing into the game and has been invested for the recent generations, because there are no assurances it will keep flowing into the sport, which is among the factors explaining I think we have to maintain a focused outlook on challenges and obviously, of the next two or three years."
Top Flight Apprehensions
Elite division representatives objected to 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 commercial operation of the elite league.
"Being fully aware of the apprehension regarding damaging the Premier League as a premium product of the nation. But simultaneously, if you engage with division representatives after this week's discussion, they would have had a high level of reassurance -and, actually, they have been telling us in private they have a high level of reassurance."
Partisan Associations
The regulator remains subject to a "comprehensive investigation" by the official appointments authority after he disclosed making donations to the Labour Party in the past.
The 68-year-old 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 former ideological connection [with Labour], and that party membership ceased the day the official body endorsed my nomination," Kogan said.
"I am no longer involved in any type of partisan engagement."
