'We will play a key role in football's future' - independent football regulator David Kogan
Sheffield Wednesday's current difficulties are seen as a "serious issue" and the new football authority is looking to gain the ability to examine team situations in such situations, its new chair the regulator has stated.
In a wide-ranging interview, the regulator, who was named to the position this week, showed understanding towards Wednesday's fanbase.
Kogan met with four fan organizations associated with the South Yorkshire club in recent days.
The Championship side have been experiencing difficulties in multiple areas in 2025, with the club failing to pay players on time on five separate occasions, including in last month.
"Obviously the club has become a significant problem for EFL and a significant problem for football," Kogan told.
"The club represents one of the iconic names for English football 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 brought to our attention if they warrant scrutiny and addressed."
Financial Struggles and Leadership Concerns
The club's controversial proprietor Dejphon Chansiri indicated in the summer he would be prepared to relinquish control at Hillsborough, but he has been unable to finalize an agreement with interested parties.
Missed wage deadlines on time in earlier this year resulted in restrictions being imposed by the football authorities in summer, blocking the team from conducting any player acquisitions for the following recruitment periods, although the ban was rescinded in late summer.
Official's Viewpoint
The regulator explained: "The position was created for the fans of Sheffield Wednesday, other clubs in similar situations where people are committed to a regional establishment that has represented their community in multiple situations.
"I have absolute sympathy for the team's plight, as I do for all the clubs that in modern times have encountered failure, or been close to going to the wall, for reasons that have nothing to do with the supporters."
Inquired if the regulator could force an owner to sell a club if they are considered unfit, the chairman responded: "If your question is 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the answer is once we gather the evidence and understand the situation, we will."
But the regulator clarified that forcing owners to sell clubs would be treated as a "last resort" and the regulator would prefer to collaborate with owners.
"The last thing what we want to do is start getting involved with an individual club, an particular chairman, without being able to work with that proprietor to address the challenges confronting the team and the chairman's encountering," Kogan said.
"In actuality, when you look back over the history of the game, over the last 20 or 30 years there have been some owners, a small minority, but some who have been irresponsible in the way which they've been managing their teams and eventually decline to assume obligation for the future."
Sheffield Wednesday supporters have been demonstrating against the team's chairman in recent months
'Mistakes could erase significant advances'
The regulator engaged officials from numerous teams to detail the scope of the oversight body this week and stated it constituted a "forward-thinking discussion" with a "substantial involvement" from the grassroots to elite level.
"This position carries substantial significance, because should mistakes occur, if the world of football gets it wrong, the significant advances achieved necessary will vanish swiftly," the regulator warned.
"Such an outcome is universally undesirable in the terms of English football is a substantial accomplishment - we've got to keep it going.
"Substantial financial resources flowing into the game and has come into football for the recent generations, because there are no assurances it will keep flowing into the sport, which is among the factors explaining I think we have to adopt a precise perspective on risk and of course, of the coming seasons."
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 Kogan said: "I completely endorse the prosperity and expansion as an financial organization of the elite league.
"Being fully aware of the worry about compromising the top flight as an elite competition of this country. But concurrently, 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 advising us privately they have a high level of reassurance."
Political Connections
The chairman continues to confront a "thorough examination" by the public appointments commissioner after he disclosed making donations to the political party in recent years.
The official contributed funds to Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport the politician's campaign, along with that of the government leader.
"I've been completely open about my former ideological connection [with Labour], and that ideological connection terminated the day the select committee approved my appointment," the regulator explained.
"I am presently disconnected from any type of partisan engagement."
