'Our role is integral to football's future' - independent football regulator the regulator's chair
Sheffield Wednesday's persistent issues are seen as a "serious issue" and the new football authority is seeking powers to examine team situations in comparable cases, its new chair the official has announced.
In a wide-ranging interview, the chairman, who was named to the position this week, expressed "sympathy" towards Wednesday's fanbase.
The chairman convened with four supporter groups representing the football team this week.
The Championship side have been experiencing difficulties in multiple areas in 2025, with the club failing to pay players on time on several different times, including in the autumn.
"Obviously the club has become a serious issue for football authorities and a major challenge for the sport," the chairman stated.
"Sheffield Wednesday is one of the historic institutions for football in England and recently we have met Sheffield Wednesday supporters' groups.
"Our aim is to acquire the ability... which will enable us to take the club and similar situations referred to us if they warrant scrutiny and dealt with."
Monetary Issues and Leadership Concerns
The team's struggling chairman the Thai businessman indicated in the summer he would be willing to sell up at Hillsborough, but he has failed to complete a sale with potential new owners.
Failure to pay player wages on time in spring months led to sanctions by the football authorities in mid-year, stopping Wednesday from completing any player acquisitions for the next three transfer windows, although that restriction was lifted in late summer.
Official's Viewpoint
The chairman stated: "The job [of the regulator] is there for the fans of Sheffield Wednesday, teams facing challenges where fans are dedicated to a community organization that has been part of their lives in multiple situations.
"I have absolute sympathy for Sheffield Wednesday, as I do for every team that in modern times have encountered failure, or approached financial ruin, for reasons that have nothing to do with the followers."
Questioned about whether the regulator could force an proprietor to divest a club if they are judged inappropriate, Kogan said: "If your question is 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the reply is once we gather the evidence and comprehend the circumstances, we will."
But the chairman emphasized that compelling proprietors to divest clubs would be treated as a "last resort" and the regulator would prefer to collaborate with owners.
"Our least desirable course of action is begin intervening in an individual club, an specific proprietor, without being able to work with that chairman to fix the problems affecting the organization and the proprietor's dealing with," the regulator explained.
"In actuality, when you review the record of the sport, over the past few decades there have been some owners, few in number, but certain individuals who have acted carelessly in the manner they have operated their teams and eventually refuse to accept accountability for the coming years."
Sheffield Wednesday supporters have been protesting against the team's chairman during the current campaign
'Mistakes could erase significant advances'
The chairman convened with delegates from multiple organizations to explain the responsibilities of the authority recently and stated it constituted a "proactive meeting" with a "high level of engagement" 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 extraordinary progress that's been made necessary will vanish rapidly," the regulator warned.
"This represents everyone's worst fear 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 been invested for the last 20 or 25 years, because there are no assurances it will continue to come into football, which is one of the reasons why I think we have to take a really clear view on potential dangers and naturally, of the coming seasons."
Elite Division Worries
The Premier League opposed the creation of a regulator because of fears of a negative impact on the elite division's competitive balance, but Kogan said: "I fully support the prosperity and expansion as an economic entity of the Premier League.
"As someone who appreciates the apprehension regarding damaging the top flight as an elite competition of England. But concurrently, if you consult with top flight officials after this week's discussion, they would have had a high level of reassurance -and, in fact, they have been telling us in private they have a considerable comfort."
Ideological Links
The regulator remains subject to a "comprehensive investigation" by the Commissioner for Public Appointments after he disclosed making donations to the political party in recent years.
The official provided financial support for government minister Lisa Nandy's leadership campaign, along with that of the government leader.
"I have been entirely transparent regarding my former ideological connection [with Labour], and that party membership ceased the day the official body endorsed my nomination," the chairman stated.
"I am presently disconnected from any sort of politics."
