'We will play a key role in football's future' - independent football regulator the regulator's chair
Sheffield Wednesday's current difficulties constitute a "major concern" and the new football authority is aiming to acquire authority to investigate clubs in similar circumstances, its new chair the regulator has stated.
During an extensive discussion, the chairman, who was appointed on Monday, voiced concern towards the club's followers.
Kogan met with four supporters' associations connected to the South Yorkshire club recently.
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 several different times, including in last month.
"Clearly Sheffield Wednesday has been a serious issue for football authorities and a significant problem for football," the regulator explained.
"Sheffield Wednesday is one of the iconic names for the English game and this week we have met supporters' organizations.
"We are seeking authority... which will allow us to have Wednesday and comparable cases brought to our attention if they need to be investigated and dealt with."
Financial Struggles and Ownership Situation
The club's controversial proprietor the current owner suggested earlier this year he would be willing to sell up at the stadium, but he has been unable to finalize an agreement with prospective buyers.
Failure to pay player wages on time in March and May led to sanctions by the league officials in June, blocking the team from conducting any recruitment activities for the next three transfer windows, although those limitations were removed in August.
Authority's Position
The regulator explained: "The job [of the regulator] is there for the fans of Sheffield Wednesday, other clubs in similar situations where fans are dedicated to a regional establishment that has existed throughout their lifetimes in many cases.
"I have absolute sympathy for the team's plight, as I do for all the clubs that over recent decades have faced collapse, or approached financial ruin, for causes separate from the followers."
Questioned about whether the authority might compel an chairman to relinquish a club if they are judged inappropriate, Kogan said: "Should the inquiry concern 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the answer is once we collect the information and understand the situation, we will."
But the chairman emphasized that compelling proprietors to divest clubs would be treated as a "last resort" and the authority would rather to cooperate with proprietors.
"Our least desirable course of action is commence engagement with an particular organization, an individual owner, without being able to work with that chairman to fix the issues that the club's facing and the chairman's encountering," Kogan said.
"In actuality, when you look back over the history of football, over the last 20 or 30 years there have been certain proprietors, few in number, but particular people who have shown negligence in the way which they've been managing their clubs and ultimately don't wish to take responsibility for the future."
Wednesday followers have been protesting against owner Dejphon Chansiri in recent months
'If we get it wrong, extraordinary progress vanishes'
Kogan met with officials from numerous teams to explain the responsibilities of the oversight body this week and insisted it was a "forward-thinking discussion" with a "substantial involvement" from the grassroots to elite level.
"It's a job that's actually really important, because if errors are made, if the world of football gets it wrong, the remarkable development accomplished could disappear incredibly quickly," Kogan said.
"This represents everyone's worst fear in the realm of domestic football is a substantial accomplishment - we must maintain momentum.
"Substantial financial resources 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 among the factors explaining I think we have to adopt a precise perspective on potential dangers and naturally, of the immediate future."
Premier League Concerns
The Premier League opposed the establishment of an oversight body because of apprehensions regarding adverse consequences on the top-flight's competitiveness, but the regulator stated: "I completely endorse the prosperity and expansion as an economic entity of the Premier League.
"Being fully aware of the concern of undermining the top flight as an elite competition of this country. But at the same time, if you engage with division representatives after today's meeting, they would have had a high level of reassurance -and, in fact, they have been telling us in private they have a significant confidence."
Ideological Links
Kogan is still facing a "comprehensive investigation" by the public appointments commissioner after he disclosed making donations to the political party in the past.
The 68-year-old donated money to Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport the minister's leadership bid, along with that of the government leader.
"I have fully disclosed my past party membership [with Labour], and that ideological connection terminated the day the official body endorsed my nomination," Kogan said.
"I am presently disconnected from any type of partisan engagement."
