'Our role is integral to football's future' - football oversight chief the regulator's chair
The team's current difficulties represent a a "serious issue" and the new football authority is looking to gain the ability to examine team situations in similar circumstances, the newly appointed chairman the official has declared.
Through a comprehensive talk, Kogan, who was named to the position this week, expressed "sympathy" towards supporters of the Owls.
Kogan met with four supporter groups connected to the football team this week.
The Championship side have been struggling on and off the field in the current year, with the club missing wage payments on multiple instances, including in September.
"Obviously the club has become a serious issue for football authorities and a substantial concern for English football," the regulator explained.
"The club represents one of the great brands for the English game and in recent days we have met fan representatives.
"Our aim is to acquire the ability... which will enable us to take Wednesday and comparable cases submitted for our review if they warrant scrutiny and acted upon."
Financial Struggles and Ownership Situation
Wednesday's embattled owner Dejphon Chansiri stated during the off-season he would be willing to sell up at their home ground, but he has not been able to secure a deal with potential new owners.
Delayed salary payments on time in March and May led to sanctions by the football authorities in mid-year, preventing the club from carrying out any recruitment activities for the next three transfer windows, although the ban was rescinded in August.
Authority's Position
Kogan said: "The job [of the regulator] is there for the Owls followers, Bury or any football club where people are committed to a regional establishment that has represented their community in numerous instances.
"I completely understand Sheffield Wednesday, as I do for all the clubs that since 1992 have gone to the wall, or nearly ceased operations, for causes separate from the supporters."
Inquired if the oversight body could require an owner to sell a club if they are judged inappropriate, the chairman responded: "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 Kogan stressed that requiring chairmen to relinquish clubs would be considered the final option and the oversight body would choose to collaborate with owners.
"Our least desirable course of action is start getting involved with an individual club, an specific proprietor, without being able to work with that proprietor to address the challenges confronting the team and the owner's facing," the regulator explained.
"But the truth is, when you examine the past of the game, over the last 20 or 30 years there have been particular chairmen, few in number, but particular people who have shown negligence in the way which they've been managing their clubs and ultimately decline to assume obligation for the coming years."
Wednesday followers have been demonstrating against owner Dejphon Chansiri in recent months
'Mistakes could erase significant advances'
Kogan met with delegates from multiple organizations to lay out the remit of the oversight body this week and maintained it represented a "forward-thinking discussion" with a "significant participation" from the lower divisions to the top flight.
"The role holds considerable importance, because if errors are made, if the sport makes errors, the significant advances achieved might evaporate incredibly quickly," Kogan said.
"This represents everyone's worst fear in the terms of English football is a substantial accomplishment - we must maintain momentum.
"There's an enormous amount of money flowing into the game and has come into football for the recent generations, because there are no assurances it will keep flowing into the sport, which is part of the rationale behind I think we have to maintain a focused outlook on risk and of course, of the next two or three years."
Elite Division Worries
Elite division representatives objected to the establishment of an oversight body because of fears of a negative impact on the Premier League's sporting equality, but the regulator stated: "I'm absolutely committed to the achievement and development as an commercial operation of the elite league.
"As someone who appreciates the apprehension regarding damaging the top flight as an elite competition of the nation. But at the same time, if you talk to the Premier League after this week's discussion, they would have had a significant degree of comfort -and, indeed, they have been informing us confidentially they have a high level of reassurance."
Partisan Associations
Kogan is still facing a "thorough examination" by the Commissioner for Public Appointments after he revealed he contributed money to the opposition group in 2020.
The official donated money to Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport the minister's leadership bid, along with that of the current Prime Minister.
"I have fully disclosed my past party membership [with Labour], and that political affiliation came to an end the day the official body endorsed my nomination," Kogan said.
"I currently have no participation in any sort of politics."
