'We are going to be a part of football's future' - football oversight chief the regulator's chair
Sheffield Wednesday's current difficulties constitute a "significant problem" and the football regulator is seeking powers to look into club affairs in similar circumstances, the newly appointed chairman the official has announced.
In a wide-ranging interview, the regulator, who was named to the position this week, showed understanding towards supporters of the Owls.
The regulator engaged with four supporter groups representing the South Yorkshire club in recent days.
The Championship side have been experiencing difficulties in multiple areas in 2025, with the club missing wage payments on several different times, including in September.
"Obviously the club has become a significant problem for EFL and a substantial concern for English football," the chairman stated.
"Sheffield Wednesday is one of the iconic names for football in England and in recent days we have met fan representatives.
"We are seeking authority... which will permit us to bring the club and similar situations referred to us if they need to be investigated and acted upon."
Financial Struggles and Proprietorship Status
The club's controversial proprietor the Thai businessman indicated in the summer he would be open to selling the club at the stadium, but he has been unable to finalize an agreement with prospective buyers.
Delayed salary payments on time in March and May led to sanctions by the football authorities in June, preventing the club from carrying out any player acquisitions for the next three transfer windows, although that restriction was lifted in August.
Authority's Position
The regulator explained: "Our role exists to serve the Owls followers, teams facing challenges where people are committed to a community organization that has existed throughout their lifetimes in many cases.
"I have absolute sympathy for the team's plight, as I do for every team that in modern times have encountered failure, or been close to going to the wall, for factors unrelated to the supporters."
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 collect the information and comprehend the circumstances, we will."
But Kogan stressed that forcing owners to sell clubs would be treated as a "last resort" and the authority would rather to cooperate with proprietors.
"The final option we would consider is commence engagement with an individual club, an specific proprietor, without having the opportunity to collaborate with that chairman to fix the issues that the club's facing and the owner's facing," Kogan said.
"But the truth is, when you review the record of football, over the last 20 or 30 years there have been particular chairmen, few in number, but particular people who have shown negligence in the approach they have taken toward their organizations and finally don't wish to take responsibility for the coming years."
Wednesday followers have been demonstrating against the team's chairman in recent months
'Errors may undo substantial development'
The chairman convened with representatives from 110 clubs to explain the responsibilities of the oversight body this week and maintained it represented a "proactive meeting" with a "significant participation" from the lower divisions to the top flight.
"This position carries substantial significance, because if we get it wrong, if the sport makes errors, the remarkable development accomplished could disappear rapidly," the chairman stated.
"This represents everyone's worst fear in the realm of domestic football is a huge success story - we must maintain momentum.
"Substantial financial resources flowing into the game and has come into football for the recent generations, because there are no assurances it will persist in entering the game, which is among the factors explaining I think we have to maintain a focused outlook on risk and of course, of the coming seasons."
Premier League Concerns
Elite division representatives objected to the creation of a regulator because of fears of a negative impact on the top-flight's competitiveness, but Kogan said: "I fully support the success and growth as an economic entity of the Premier League.
"I of all people understand the concern of undermining the top flight as an elite competition of England. But simultaneously, if you engage with division representatives after the recent gathering, they would have had a high level of reassurance -and, indeed, they have been informing us confidentially they have a high level of reassurance."
Ideological Links
The regulator remains subject to a "thorough examination" by the official appointments authority after he revealed he contributed money to the opposition group in 2020.
The official donated money to government minister the minister's leadership bid, along with that of the current Prime Minister.
"I have fully disclosed my previous political affiliation [with Labour], and that political affiliation came to an end the day the official body endorsed my nomination," Kogan said.
"I am presently disconnected from any type of partisan engagement."
