'We will play a key role in football's future' - football oversight chief the new chairman
The Championship club's current difficulties are seen as a "significant problem" and the independent regulator is seeking powers to investigate clubs in similar circumstances, the recently named head the regulator has stated.
Through a comprehensive talk, the regulator, who was appointed on Monday, expressed "sympathy" towards supporters of the Owls.
The chairman convened with four fan organizations connected to the South Yorkshire club in recent days.
The Championship side have been struggling on and off the field in 2025, with the club failing to pay players on time on several different times, including in last month.
"Evidently Wednesday represents a serious issue for football authorities and a major challenge for the sport," the regulator explained.
"Sheffield Wednesday is one of the great brands for football in England and this week we have met fan representatives.
"Our aim is to acquire the ability... which will enable us to take Sheffield Wednesday - and other clubs brought to our attention if they require examination and acted upon."
Economic Challenges and Proprietorship Status
The team's struggling chairman the current owner indicated in the summer he would be willing to sell up at Hillsborough, but he has not been able to secure a deal with potential new owners.
Failure to pay player wages on time in March and May resulted in restrictions being imposed by the English Football League (EFL) in June, preventing the club from carrying out any recruitment activities for the next three transfer windows, although the ban was rescinded in late summer.
Regulator's Perspective
The chairman stated: "Our role exists to serve the supporters of Wednesday, teams facing challenges where people are committed to a local institution that has represented their community in many cases.
"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 reasons that have nothing to do with the followers."
Inquired if the oversight body could require an proprietor to divest a club if they are considered unfit, Kogan said: "Should the inquiry concern 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the reply is once we collect the information and know what's going on, we will."
But the chairman emphasized that compelling proprietors to divest clubs would be treated as a "last resort" and the oversight body would choose to cooperate with proprietors.
"The final option we would consider is commence engagement with an particular organization, an individual owner, without being able to work with that chairman to fix the challenges confronting the team and the chairman's encountering," the chairman stated.
"However, realistically, when you review the record of the game, over the last 20 or 30 years there have been particular chairmen, a small minority, but certain individuals who have acted carelessly in the way which they've been managing their organizations and finally don't wish to take responsibility for the long-term prospects."
Owls fans have been voicing opposition to owner Dejphon Chansiri during the current campaign
'Mistakes could erase significant advances'
The regulator engaged delegates from multiple organizations to detail the scope of the regulator on Wednesday and insisted it was a "forward-thinking discussion" with a "high level of engagement" from the grassroots to elite level.
"The role holds considerable importance, because should mistakes occur, if the sport makes errors, the extraordinary progress that's been made necessary will vanish rapidly," the regulator warned.
"And that's what nobody wants in the realm of domestic football is a substantial accomplishment - we need to continue the progress.
"There's an enormous amount of money flowing into the game and has come into football for the past two decades, because there's no guarantee it will persist in entering the game, which is part of the rationale behind I think we have to adopt a precise perspective on potential dangers and naturally, of the next two or three years."
Premier League Concerns
The Premier League opposed the formation of an authority because of fears of a negative impact on the top-flight's competitiveness, but the chairman responded: "I'm absolutely committed to the success and growth as an economic entity of the elite league.
"I of all people understand the apprehension regarding damaging the Premier League as a premium product of England. But concurrently, if you engage with division representatives after the recent gathering, they would have had a significant degree of comfort -and, indeed, they have been telling us in private they have a significant confidence."
Political Connections
Kogan is still facing a "comprehensive investigation" by the public appointments commissioner after he acknowledged providing funds to the opposition group in recent years.
The chairman provided financial support for Culture Secretary the politician's campaign, along with that of the government leader.
"I have fully disclosed my previous political affiliation [with Labour], and that political affiliation came to an end the day the parliamentary committee confirmed my selection," the regulator explained.
"I am no longer involved in any sort of politics."
