'Our role is integral to football's future' - independent football regulator the regulator's chair
Sheffield Wednesday's persistent issues represent a a "significant problem" and the independent regulator is looking to gain the ability to examine team situations in comparable cases, its new chair the regulator has announced.
In a wide-ranging interview, the chairman, who was named to the position this week, expressed "sympathy" towards the club's followers.
Kogan met with four fan organizations connected to the Championship side this week.
The team have been experiencing difficulties in multiple areas in 2025, with the club delaying salary disbursements on several different times, including in the autumn.
"Evidently Wednesday represents a serious issue for football authorities and a significant problem for football," Kogan told.
"Wednesday stands as one of the historic institutions for football in England and this week we have met supporters' organizations.
"Our aim is to acquire the ability... which will allow us to have the club and similar situations submitted for our review if they warrant scrutiny and addressed."
Economic Challenges and Proprietorship Status
The club's controversial proprietor the Thai businessman indicated in the summer he would be open to selling the club at their home ground, but he has not been able to secure a deal with potential new owners.
Failure to pay player wages on time in earlier this year resulted in restrictions being imposed by the English Football League (EFL) in summer, blocking the team from conducting any transfers or loans for the following recruitment periods, although those limitations were removed in August.
Official's Viewpoint
Kogan said: "Our role exists to serve the fans of Sheffield Wednesday, teams facing challenges where fans are dedicated to a local institution that has existed throughout their lifetimes in numerous instances.
"I completely understand Sheffield Wednesday, as I do for every team that in modern times have encountered failure, or been close to going to the wall, for causes separate from the followers."
Questioned about whether the oversight body could require an proprietor to divest a club if they are deemed unsuitable, the chairman responded: "Should the inquiry concern 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the answer is once we assemble the facts and know what's going on, we will."
But the regulator clarified that forcing owners to sell clubs would be viewed as the ultimate measure and the oversight body would choose to cooperate with proprietors.
"Our least desirable course of action is begin intervening in an particular organization, an specific proprietor, without having the opportunity to collaborate with that chairman to fix the problems affecting the organization and the owner's facing," the regulator explained.
"In actuality, when you look back over the history of the game, over the past few decades there have been some owners, few in number, but some who have been irresponsible in the manner they have operated their clubs and ultimately don't wish to take responsibility for the future."
Owls fans have been protesting against the current proprietor in recent months
'If we get it wrong, extraordinary progress vanishes'
The chairman convened with representatives from 110 clubs to explain the responsibilities of the oversight body this week and stated it constituted a "proactive meeting" with a "substantial involvement" from the lower divisions to the top flight.
"It's a job that's actually really important, because if we get it wrong, if the world of football gets it wrong, the significant advances achieved might evaporate rapidly," the regulator warned.
"And that's what nobody wants in the terms of English football is a huge success story - we must maintain momentum.
"Considerable investment entering the sport and has been invested for the past two decades, because certainty is lacking it will continue to come into football, which is one of the reasons why I think we have to maintain a focused outlook on challenges and obviously, of the next two or three years."
Top Flight Apprehensions
The Premier League opposed the establishment of an oversight body because of fears of a negative impact on the Premier League's sporting equality, but the chairman responded: "I fully support the prosperity and expansion as an financial organization of the elite league.
"As someone who appreciates the concern of undermining the top flight as an elite competition of the nation. 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 acknowledged providing funds to the opposition group in 2020.
The 68-year-old donated money to government minister the minister's leadership bid, along with that of the now Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
"I have been entirely transparent regarding my past party membership [with Labour], and that party membership ceased the day the official body endorsed my nomination," the regulator explained.
"I am presently disconnected from any sort of politics."
