'We will play a key role in football's future' - football oversight chief the regulator's chair
The Championship club's persistent issues represent a a "serious issue" and the new football authority is looking to gain the ability to investigate clubs in similar circumstances, the newly appointed chairman the regulator has stated.
In a wide-ranging interview, the regulator, who was named to the position this week, expressed "sympathy" towards Wednesday's fanbase.
The chairman convened with four supporter groups representing the Championship side recently.
The Championship side have been struggling on and off the field in 2025, with the club missing wage payments on five separate occasions, including in last month.
"Evidently Wednesday represents a significant problem for EFL and a significant problem for football," the regulator explained.
"Sheffield Wednesday is one of the historic institutions for English football and recently we have met supporters' organizations.
"We're now looking to get powers... which will enable us to take Wednesday and comparable cases referred to us if they warrant scrutiny and acted upon."
Financial Struggles and Leadership Concerns
The club's controversial proprietor the current owner indicated in the summer he would be willing to sell up at Hillsborough, but he has failed to complete a sale with interested parties.
Delayed salary payments on time in spring months led to sanctions by the English Football League (EFL) in mid-year, stopping Wednesday from completing any recruitment activities for the subsequent signing windows, although those limitations were removed in the end of the transfer window.
Regulator's Perspective
The regulator explained: "The job [of the regulator] is there for the supporters of Wednesday, Bury or any football club where people are committed to a local institution that has represented their community in numerous instances.
"I have absolute sympathy for Sheffield Wednesday, as I do for every team that over recent decades have faced collapse, or been close to going to the wall, for causes separate from the fans themselves."
Questioned about whether the regulator could force an owner to sell a club if they are considered unfit, Kogan said: "When asking whether 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the answer is 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 authority would rather to work with them.
"The last thing what we want to do is begin intervening in an specific team, an particular chairman, without being in a position to cooperate with that proprietor to address the challenges confronting the team and the chairman's encountering," the chairman stated.
"But the truth is, when you examine the past of football, over the past few decades there have been particular chairmen, a small minority, but some who have been irresponsible in the way which they've been managing their teams and eventually refuse to accept accountability for the long-term prospects."
Owls fans have been protesting against owner Dejphon Chansiri in recent months
'Errors may undo substantial development'
Kogan met with officials from numerous teams to detail the scope of the oversight body this week and insisted it was a "progressive gathering" with a "high level of engagement" from the lower divisions to the top flight.
"This position carries substantial significance, because if we get it wrong, if the sport makes errors, the remarkable development accomplished could disappear swiftly," Kogan said.
"And that's what nobody wants in the context of the English game is a major achievement - we must maintain momentum.
"Considerable investment coming into football and has been invested for the recent generations, because certainty is lacking it will continue to come into football, which is among the factors explaining I think we have to take a really clear view on potential dangers and naturally, of the next two or three years."
Elite Division Worries
The Premier League opposed the establishment of an oversight body because of concerns about detrimental effects on the Premier League's sporting equality, but the chairman responded: "I fully support the prosperity and expansion as an economic entity of the elite league.
"As someone who appreciates 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 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."
Ideological Links
The chairman continues to confront a "comprehensive investigation" by the Commissioner for Public Appointments after he revealed he contributed money to the political party in recent years.
The 68-year-old contributed funds to Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Lisa Nandy's leadership campaign, along with that of the government leader.
"I have been entirely transparent regarding my former ideological connection [with Labour], and that ideological connection terminated the day the parliamentary committee confirmed my selection," the regulator explained.
"I am presently disconnected from any sort of politics."
