'We are going to be a part of football's future' - football oversight chief the new chairman
The Championship club's ongoing struggles represent a a "major concern" and the independent regulator is looking to gain the ability to examine team situations in comparable cases, the recently named head the regulator has declared.
Through a comprehensive talk, the regulator, who was appointed on Monday, showed understanding towards the club's followers.
The chairman convened with four fan organizations representing the Championship side in recent days.
The Championship side have been facing challenges both on and off the pitch in the current year, with the club failing to pay players on time on five separate occasions, including in last month.
"Obviously the club has become a serious issue for football authorities and a substantial concern for English football," the chairman stated.
"Sheffield Wednesday is one of the great brands for English football and this week we have met Sheffield Wednesday supporters' groups.
"Our aim is to acquire the ability... which will permit us to bring Wednesday and comparable cases submitted for our review if they warrant scrutiny and acted upon."
Monetary Issues and Ownership Situation
The club's controversial proprietor the Thai businessman suggested earlier this year 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 earlier this year resulted in restrictions being imposed by the league officials in mid-year, preventing the club from carrying out any transfers or loans for the following recruitment periods, although that restriction was lifted in the end of the transfer window.
Official's Viewpoint
The chairman stated: "The job [of the regulator] is there for the supporters of Wednesday, other clubs in similar situations where people are committed to a community organization that has been part of their lives in many cases.
"I have absolute sympathy for the team's plight, as I do for every team that over recent decades have faced collapse, or approached financial ruin, for reasons that have nothing to do with the supporters."
When asked if the oversight body could require an proprietor to divest a club if they are considered unfit, the regulator answered: "Should the inquiry concern '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 requiring chairmen to relinquish clubs would be considered the final option and the authority would rather to work with them.
"Our least desirable course of action is begin intervening in an particular organization, an individual owner, without being able to work with that owner to try and resolve the issues that the club's facing and the chairman's encountering," the chairman stated.
"But the truth is, when you review the record of football, over the past few decades there have been certain proprietors, not many, but certain individuals who have acted carelessly in the way which they've been managing their teams and eventually decline to assume obligation for the coming years."
Sheffield Wednesday supporters have been protesting against owner Dejphon Chansiri during the current campaign
'Mistakes could erase significant advances'
The chairman convened with delegates from multiple organizations to lay out the remit of the regulator on Wednesday and insisted it was a "proactive meeting" with a "significant participation" from the lower divisions to the top flight.
"The role holds considerable importance, because if we get it wrong, if the football community fails, the remarkable development accomplished could disappear swiftly," the regulator warned.
"Such an outcome is universally undesirable in the context of the English game is a major achievement - we've got to keep it going.
"There's an enormous amount of money flowing into the game and has been invested for the past two decades, because there's no guarantee it will continue to come into football, which is part of the rationale behind I think we have to maintain a focused outlook on risk and of course, of the coming seasons."
Elite Division Worries
Elite division representatives objected to the establishment of an oversight body because of concerns about detrimental effects on the top-flight's competitiveness, but the regulator stated: "I'm absolutely committed to the prosperity and expansion as an financial organization of the Premier League.
"I of all people understand the apprehension regarding damaging the top flight as an elite competition of the nation. But concurrently, if you engage with division representatives after today's meeting, 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."
Political Connections
The regulator remains subject to a "thorough examination" by the public appointments commissioner after he acknowledged providing funds to the political party in the past.
The official provided financial support for government minister the politician's campaign, along with that of the now Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
"I've been completely open about my previous political affiliation [with Labour], and that party membership ceased the day the select committee approved my appointment," the regulator explained.
"I currently have no participation in any sort of politics."
