'We will play a key role in football's future' - independent football regulator the new chairman
The Championship club's ongoing struggles are seen as a "significant problem" and the new football authority is looking to gain the ability to investigate clubs in comparable cases, the recently named head David Kogan has announced.
In a wide-ranging interview, Kogan, who was appointed on Monday, expressed "sympathy" towards supporters of the Owls.
The regulator engaged with four fan organizations representing the Championship side recently.
The team have been experiencing difficulties in multiple areas in the current year, with the club failing to pay players on time on multiple instances, including in September.
"Evidently Wednesday represents a serious issue for football authorities and a major challenge for the sport," Kogan told.
"Wednesday stands as one of the great brands for English football and in recent days we have met supporters' organizations.
"We are seeking authority... which will allow us to have Wednesday and comparable cases brought to our attention if they require examination and acted upon."
Financial Struggles and Ownership Situation
The club's controversial proprietor Dejphon Chansiri indicated in the summer he would be open to selling the club at the stadium, but he has failed to complete a sale with prospective buyers.
Failure to pay player wages on time in earlier this year resulted in restrictions being imposed by the English Football League (EFL) in June, stopping Wednesday from completing any recruitment activities for the subsequent signing windows, although that restriction was lifted in late summer.
Authority's Position
The chairman stated: "Our role exists to serve the Owls followers, teams facing challenges where people are committed to a local institution that has been part of their lives in many cases.
"I have absolute sympathy for the team's plight, as I do for all the clubs that over recent decades have faced collapse, or approached financial ruin, for reasons that have nothing to do with the fans themselves."
Inquired if the regulator could force an owner to sell a club if they are judged inappropriate, the regulator answered: "If your question is 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the reply is once we assemble the facts and understand the situation, we will."
But the regulator clarified that compelling proprietors to divest clubs would be considered the final option and the authority would rather to cooperate with proprietors.
"The final option we would consider is commence engagement with an individual club, an particular chairman, without having the opportunity to collaborate with that owner to try and resolve the problems affecting the organization and the owner's facing," the regulator explained.
"However, realistically, when you examine the past of football, over the last 20 or 30 years there have been particular chairmen, few in number, but some who have been irresponsible in the approach they have taken toward their clubs and ultimately refuse to accept accountability for the coming years."
Wednesday followers have been voicing opposition to the current proprietor during the current campaign
'Errors may undo substantial development'
Kogan met with representatives from 110 clubs to explain the responsibilities of the oversight body this week and insisted it was a "proactive meeting" with a "high level of engagement" from the National League to the Premier League.
"This position carries substantial significance, because if errors are made, if the sport makes errors, the extraordinary progress that's been made necessary will vanish rapidly," the chairman stated.
"Such an outcome is universally undesirable in the terms of English football is a major achievement - we need to continue the progress.
"Considerable investment 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 one of the reasons why I think we have to maintain a focused outlook on challenges and obviously, of the coming seasons."
Top Flight Apprehensions
The Premier League opposed the establishment of an oversight body because of concerns about detrimental effects on the elite division's competitive balance, but the regulator stated: "I completely endorse the achievement and development as an financial organization of the Premier League.
"Being fully aware of the concern of undermining the top flight as an elite competition of this country. But simultaneously, if you talk to the Premier League after the recent gathering, they would have had a high level of reassurance -and, actually, they have been advising us privately they have a considerable comfort."
Political Connections
Kogan is still facing a "thorough examination" by the Commissioner for Public Appointments after he disclosed making donations to the political party in the past.
The 68-year-old provided financial support for government minister Lisa Nandy's leadership campaign, along with that of the now Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
"I have been entirely transparent regarding my former ideological connection [with Labour], and that political affiliation came to an end the day the official body endorsed my nomination," the chairman stated.
"I am no longer involved in any sort of politics."
