'We are going to be a part of football's future' - independent football regulator the new chairman
The team's ongoing struggles constitute a "serious issue" and the independent regulator is seeking powers to investigate clubs in similar circumstances, the recently named head the official has announced.
During an extensive discussion, the regulator, who was named to the position this week, expressed "sympathy" towards supporters of the Owls.
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 failing to pay players on time on several different times, including in last month.
"Obviously the club has become a serious issue for football authorities and a major challenge for the sport," the regulator explained.
"Sheffield Wednesday is one of the historic institutions for football in England and recently we have met Sheffield Wednesday supporters' groups.
"We're now looking to get powers... which will permit us to bring Wednesday and comparable cases referred to us if they need to be investigated and acted upon."
Financial Struggles and Proprietorship Status
The team's struggling chairman the current owner indicated in the summer he would be willing to sell up 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 football authorities in June, preventing the club from carrying out any player acquisitions for the subsequent signing windows, although that restriction was lifted in late summer.
Authority's Position
The chairman stated: "Our role exists to serve the fans of Sheffield Wednesday, Bury or any football club where fans are dedicated to a local institution that has represented their community in multiple situations.
"I completely understand the club's situation, 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 fans themselves."
When asked if the authority might compel an proprietor to divest a club if they are judged inappropriate, the regulator answered: "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 regulator clarified that compelling proprietors to divest clubs would be viewed as the ultimate measure and the regulator would prefer to work with them.
"The last thing what we want to do is begin intervening in an individual club, an specific proprietor, without having the opportunity to collaborate with that chairman to fix the problems affecting the organization and the proprietor's dealing with," Kogan said.
"In actuality, when you examine the past of the game, over the past few decades there have been particular chairmen, few in number, but certain individuals who have acted carelessly in the way which they've been managing their organizations and finally refuse to accept accountability for the long-term prospects."
Owls fans have been protesting against owner Dejphon Chansiri this season
'Mistakes could erase significant advances'
Kogan met with delegates from multiple organizations to lay out the remit of the authority recently and insisted it was a "progressive gathering" with a "substantial involvement" from the grassroots to elite level.
"It's a job that's actually really important, because if we get it wrong, if the sport makes errors, the remarkable development accomplished could disappear rapidly," Kogan said.
"This represents everyone's worst fear in the realm of domestic football is a substantial accomplishment - we've got to keep it going.
"Substantial financial resources entering the sport and has been channeled for the last 20 or 25 years, because there's no guarantee it will keep flowing into the sport, which is part of the rationale behind I think we have to maintain a focused outlook on potential dangers and naturally, of the immediate future."
Top Flight Apprehensions
The Premier League opposed the establishment of an oversight body because of fears of a negative impact on the top-flight's competitiveness, but the chairman responded: "I completely endorse the achievement and development as an economic entity of the elite league.
"Being fully aware of the concern of undermining 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, in fact, they have been telling us in private they have a significant confidence."
Political Connections
The regulator remains subject to a "comprehensive investigation" by the official appointments authority after he revealed he contributed money to the Labour Party in 2020.
The 68-year-old contributed funds to Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport the minister's leadership bid, along with that of the now Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
"I have been entirely transparent regarding my previous political affiliation [with Labour], and that party membership ceased the day the select committee approved my appointment," the regulator explained.
"I am no longer involved in any sort of politics."
