'We are going to be a part of football's future' - independent football regulator the new chairman
Sheffield Wednesday's persistent issues constitute a "significant problem" and the new football authority is seeking powers to look into club affairs in comparable cases, its new chair the regulator has stated.
In a wide-ranging interview, the regulator, who was appointed on Monday, expressed "sympathy" towards the club's followers.
The chairman convened with four supporters' associations associated with the Championship side in recent days.
The Championship side have been experiencing difficulties in multiple areas in 2025, with the club failing to pay players on time on five separate occasions, including in September.
"Evidently Wednesday represents a serious issue for football authorities and a significant problem for football," the regulator explained.
"Wednesday stands as one of the historic institutions for the English game and this week we have met fan representatives.
"We are seeking authority... which will enable us to take the club and similar situations submitted for our review if they require examination and dealt with."
Economic Challenges and Leadership Concerns
The club's controversial proprietor the Thai businessman stated during the off-season he would be open to selling the club at the stadium, but he has not been able to secure a deal with prospective buyers.
Missed wage deadlines on time in spring months resulted in restrictions being imposed by the English Football League (EFL) in mid-year, blocking the team from conducting any player acquisitions for the subsequent signing windows, although that restriction was lifted in August.
Official's Viewpoint
The chairman stated: "Our role exists to serve the Owls followers, Bury or any football club where fans are dedicated to a regional establishment that has represented their community in numerous instances.
"I completely understand the team's plight, as I do for every team that in modern times have encountered failure, or approached financial ruin, for reasons that have nothing to do with the supporters."
Questioned about whether the oversight body could require an proprietor to divest a club if they are considered unfit, the chairman responded: "Should the inquiry concern 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the reply is once we assemble the facts and comprehend the circumstances, we will."
But the chairman emphasized that forcing owners to sell clubs would be treated as a "last resort" and the authority would rather to cooperate with proprietors.
"The last thing what we want to do is start getting involved with an individual club, an individual owner, without being able to work with that proprietor to address the challenges confronting the team and the owner's facing," Kogan said.
"However, realistically, when you look back over the history of football, over the past few decades there have been certain proprietors, a small minority, but certain individuals who have acted carelessly in the way which they've been managing their clubs and ultimately decline to assume obligation for the coming years."
Wednesday followers have been protesting against the current proprietor during the current campaign
'Mistakes could erase significant advances'
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 "substantial involvement" 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 rapidly," the regulator warned.
"And that's what nobody wants in the terms of English football is a huge success story - we need to continue the progress.
"There's an enormous amount of money coming into football and has come into football for the past two decades, because there's no guarantee it will keep flowing into the sport, which is part of the rationale behind I think we have to take a really clear view on risk and of course, of the coming seasons."
Top Flight Apprehensions
The Premier League opposed the creation of a regulator because of apprehensions regarding adverse consequences on the elite division's competitive balance, but the regulator stated: "I'm absolutely committed to the prosperity and expansion as an economic entity of the top division.
"As someone who appreciates the concern of undermining the Premier League as a premium product of this country. But at the same time, if you engage with division representatives after the recent gathering, they would have had a high level of reassurance -and, in fact, they have been informing us confidentially they have a high level of reassurance."
Political Connections
The chairman continues to confront a "comprehensive investigation" by the Commissioner for Public Appointments after he revealed he contributed money to the Labour Party in recent years.
The official donated money to Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport the politician's campaign, along with that of the now Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
"I've been completely open about my former ideological connection [with Labour], and that party membership ceased the day the parliamentary committee confirmed my selection," the chairman stated.
"I currently have no participation in any type of partisan engagement."
