'We are going to be a part of football's future' - football oversight chief the regulator's chair
Sheffield Wednesday's ongoing struggles represent a a "significant problem" and the new football authority is looking to gain the ability to examine team situations in similar circumstances, the newly appointed chairman the regulator has stated.
During an extensive discussion, the regulator, who was named to the position this week, showed understanding towards Wednesday's fanbase.
The regulator engaged with four supporter groups representing the Championship side recently.
The team have been experiencing difficulties in multiple areas in 2025, with the club delaying salary disbursements on five separate occasions, including in September.
"Clearly Sheffield Wednesday has been a major concern for the league and a significant problem for football," the regulator explained.
"Wednesday stands as one of the great brands for the English game and this week we have met fan representatives.
"We're now looking to get powers... which will allow us to have Sheffield Wednesday - and other clubs referred to us if they warrant scrutiny and acted upon."
Financial Struggles and Proprietorship Status
The team's struggling chairman the current owner suggested earlier this year he would be willing to sell up at their home ground, but he has failed to complete a sale with interested parties.
Failure to pay player wages on time in March and May led to sanctions by the English Football League (EFL) in June, preventing the club from carrying out any player acquisitions for the following recruitment periods, although those limitations were removed in late summer.
Authority's Position
The chairman stated: "The job [of the regulator] is there for the fans of Sheffield Wednesday, other clubs in similar situations where people are committed to a community organization that has been part of their lives in multiple situations.
"I completely understand the club's situation, as I do for each organization that since 1992 have gone to the wall, or been close to going to the wall, for factors unrelated to the followers."
When asked if the regulator could force an owner to sell a club if they are deemed unsuitable, Kogan said: "Should the inquiry concern 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the reply is once we collect the information and understand the situation, we will."
But the chairman emphasized that compelling proprietors to divest clubs would be viewed as the ultimate measure and the authority would rather to work with them.
"The last thing what we want to do is start getting involved with an specific team, an specific proprietor, 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 look back over the history of the game, over the past few decades there have been particular chairmen, a small minority, but particular people who have shown negligence in the manner they have operated their organizations and finally refuse to accept accountability for the coming years."
Owls fans have been demonstrating against owner Dejphon Chansiri during the current campaign
'Mistakes could erase significant advances'
Kogan met with representatives from 110 clubs to lay out the remit 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 if we get it wrong, if the football community fails, the significant advances achieved necessary will vanish incredibly quickly," Kogan said.
"This represents everyone's worst fear in the context of the English game is a huge success story - we need to continue the progress.
"Considerable investment flowing into the game and has been invested for the past two decades, because there are no assurances it will continue to come into football, 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."
Elite Division Worries
The Premier League opposed the formation of an authority because of concerns about detrimental effects on the Premier League's sporting equality, but the chairman responded: "I completely endorse the prosperity and expansion as an financial organization of the elite league.
"As someone who appreciates the apprehension regarding damaging the top flight as an elite competition of this country. But at the same time, if you engage with division representatives after this week's discussion, they would have had a high level of reassurance -and, actually, they have been informing us confidentially they have a high level of reassurance."
Ideological Links
The chairman continues to confront a "comprehensive investigation" by the public appointments commissioner after he revealed he contributed money to the opposition group in recent years.
The 68-year-old donated money to government minister Lisa Nandy's leadership campaign, along with that of the current Prime Minister.
"I've been completely open about my former ideological connection [with Labour], and that ideological connection terminated the day the parliamentary committee confirmed my selection," the chairman stated.
"I am no longer involved in any sort of politics."
