'We will play a key role in football's future' - football oversight chief the new chairman
Sheffield Wednesday's current difficulties are seen as a "major concern" and the football regulator is seeking powers to examine team situations in comparable cases, its new chair the regulator has stated.
In a wide-ranging interview, the chairman, who was appointed on Monday, voiced concern towards supporters of the Owls.
The chairman convened with four supporters' associations connected to the South Yorkshire club in recent days.
The football club have been facing challenges both on and off the pitch in 2025, with the club failing to pay players on time on five separate occasions, including in September.
"Clearly Sheffield Wednesday has been a serious issue for football authorities and a substantial concern for English football," Kogan told.
"Sheffield Wednesday is one of the great brands for the English game and recently we have met supporters' organizations.
"We are seeking authority... which will permit us to bring the club and similar situations brought to our attention if they warrant scrutiny and addressed."
Financial Struggles and Leadership Concerns
The team's struggling chairman the current owner stated during the off-season he would be willing to sell up at the stadium, but he has been unable to finalize an agreement with prospective buyers.
Missed wage deadlines on time in March and May led to sanctions by the league officials in June, blocking the team from conducting any transfers or loans for the subsequent signing windows, although those limitations were removed in the end of the transfer window.
Authority's Position
Kogan said: "The position was created for the supporters of Wednesday, Bury or any football club where fans are dedicated to a community organization that has represented their community in many cases.
"I have absolute sympathy for Sheffield Wednesday, as I do for every team that in modern times have encountered failure, or been close to going to the wall, for factors unrelated to the followers."
When asked if the authority might compel an proprietor to divest a club if they are judged inappropriate, Kogan said: "When asking whether 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the reply is once we assemble the facts and comprehend the circumstances, we will."
But Kogan stressed that requiring chairmen to relinquish clubs would be treated as a "last resort" and the authority would rather to collaborate with owners.
"The last thing what we want to do is begin intervening in an individual club, an specific proprietor, without being in a position to cooperate with that chairman to fix the problems affecting the organization and the proprietor's dealing with," Kogan said.
"However, realistically, when you review the record of the sport, over the past few decades there have been some owners, a small minority, but some who have been irresponsible in the way which they've been managing their organizations and finally don't wish to take responsibility for the coming years."
Sheffield Wednesday supporters have been voicing opposition to owner Dejphon Chansiri this season
'Mistakes could erase significant advances'
The chairman convened with delegates from multiple organizations to detail the scope of the regulator on Wednesday and stated it constituted a "proactive meeting" with a "significant participation" from the lower divisions to the top flight.
"The role holds considerable importance, because if errors are made, if the football community fails, the remarkable development accomplished might evaporate incredibly quickly," the regulator warned.
"Such an outcome is universally undesirable in the realm of domestic football is a huge success story - we must maintain momentum.
"Considerable investment 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 adopt a precise perspective on challenges and obviously, of the coming seasons."
Premier League Concerns
The Premier League opposed the creation of a regulator because of concerns about detrimental effects on the Premier League's sporting equality, but Kogan said: "I fully support the success and growth as an commercial operation of the elite league.
"Being fully aware of the worry about compromising the Premier League as a premium product of the nation. But concurrently, if you engage with division representatives after this week's discussion, they would have had a substantial amount of confidence -and, in fact, they have been informing us confidentially they have a significant confidence."
Ideological Links
The regulator remains subject to a "full inquiry" by the public appointments commissioner after he acknowledged providing funds to the Labour Party in 2020.
The chairman donated money to Culture Secretary the politician's campaign, along with that of the government leader.
"I've been completely open about my previous political affiliation [with Labour], and that party membership ceased the day the parliamentary committee confirmed my selection," Kogan said.
"I am no longer involved in any sort of politics."
