'Our role is integral to football's future' - football oversight chief the regulator's chair
Sheffield Wednesday's ongoing struggles constitute a "significant problem" and the new football authority is aiming to acquire authority to examine team situations in such situations, the newly appointed chairman the regulator has announced.
In a wide-ranging interview, Kogan, who was appointed on Monday, expressed "sympathy" towards the club's followers.
The regulator engaged with four fan organizations representing the Championship side this week.
The Championship side have been struggling on and off the field in this season, with the club missing wage payments on several different times, including in September.
"Clearly Sheffield Wednesday has been a significant problem for EFL and a substantial concern for English football," the regulator explained.
"The club represents one of the great brands for the English game and recently we have met fan representatives.
"Our aim is to acquire the ability... which will allow us to have Wednesday and comparable cases brought to our attention if they need to be investigated and acted upon."
Economic Challenges and Ownership Situation
The team's struggling chairman the Thai businessman suggested earlier this year he would be open to selling the club at their home ground, but he has not been able to secure a deal with interested parties.
Missed wage deadlines on time in earlier this year caused limitations by the league officials in mid-year, blocking the team from conducting any transfers or loans for the following recruitment periods, although those limitations were removed in August.
Authority's Position
Kogan said: "The job [of the regulator] is there for the Owls followers, teams facing challenges where supporters are loyal to a local institution that has existed throughout their lifetimes in multiple situations.
"I have absolute sympathy for Sheffield Wednesday, as I do for each organization that in modern times have encountered failure, or approached financial ruin, for factors unrelated to the fans themselves."
Questioned about whether the regulator could force an chairman to relinquish a club if they are deemed unsuitable, the regulator answered: "Should the inquiry concern 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the answer is once we gather the evidence and understand the situation, we will."
But Kogan stressed that forcing owners to sell 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 specific team, an individual owner, without being able to work with that proprietor to address the problems affecting the organization and the proprietor's dealing with," Kogan said.
"In actuality, when you examine the past of the sport, over the past few decades there have been certain proprietors, a small minority, but some who have been irresponsible in the approach they have taken toward their clubs and ultimately don't wish to take responsibility for the coming years."
Sheffield Wednesday supporters have been protesting against the team's chairman in recent months
'If we get it wrong, extraordinary progress vanishes'
The chairman convened with delegates from multiple organizations to detail the scope of the oversight body this week and stated it constituted a "forward-thinking discussion" with a "significant participation" from the lower divisions to the top flight.
"The role holds considerable importance, because should mistakes occur, if the sport makes errors, the significant advances achieved could disappear incredibly quickly," Kogan said.
"And that's what nobody wants in the context of the English game is a substantial accomplishment - we must maintain momentum.
"Substantial financial resources entering the sport 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 one of the reasons why I think we have to take a really clear view on challenges and obviously, of the immediate future."
Top Flight Apprehensions
Elite division representatives objected to the formation of an authority because of concerns about detrimental effects on the Premier League's sporting equality, but Kogan said: "I'm absolutely committed to the achievement and development as an financial organization of the Premier League.
"Being fully aware of the apprehension regarding damaging the top flight as an elite competition of England. But at the same time, if you talk to the Premier League after the recent gathering, they would have had a substantial amount of confidence -and, in fact, they have been advising us privately they have a high level of reassurance."
Ideological Links
The chairman continues to confront a "full inquiry" by the Commissioner for Public Appointments after he acknowledged providing funds to the opposition group in recent years.
The chairman donated money to 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 political affiliation came to an end the day the official body endorsed my nomination," the regulator explained.
"I am no longer involved in any type of partisan engagement."
