'Our role is integral to football's future' - independent football regulator the new chairman
Sheffield Wednesday's ongoing struggles are seen as a "serious issue" and the new football authority is seeking powers to examine team situations in similar circumstances, its new chair the official has stated.
Through a comprehensive talk, the chairman, who was recently selected, expressed "sympathy" towards the club's followers.
The chairman convened with four supporters' associations associated with the Championship side in recent days.
The team have been facing challenges both on and off the pitch in 2025, with the club delaying salary disbursements on five separate occasions, including in September.
"Evidently Wednesday represents a major concern for the league and a major challenge for the sport," the regulator explained.
"The club represents one of the great brands for English football and this week we have met Sheffield Wednesday supporters' groups.
"We are seeking authority... which will permit us to bring Sheffield Wednesday - and other clubs brought to our attention if they need to be investigated and dealt with."
Economic Challenges and Proprietorship Status
The club's controversial proprietor the Thai businessman suggested earlier this year he would be willing to sell up at Hillsborough, 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 football authorities in mid-year, stopping Wednesday from completing any transfers or loans for the following recruitment periods, although those limitations were removed in August.
Official's Viewpoint
The chairman stated: "The job [of the regulator] is there for the Owls followers, teams facing challenges where supporters are loyal to a community organization that has represented their community in many cases.
"I fully appreciate Sheffield Wednesday, as I do for all the clubs that over recent decades have faced collapse, or approached financial ruin, for reasons that have nothing to do with the fans themselves."
Questioned about whether the oversight body could require an chairman to relinquish a club if they are considered unfit, Kogan said: "When asking whether 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the answer is once we gather the evidence and know what's going on, we will."
But the chairman emphasized that requiring chairmen to relinquish clubs would be considered the final option and the oversight body would choose to collaborate with owners.
"Our least desirable course of action is commence engagement with an particular organization, an specific proprietor, without being in a position to cooperate with that proprietor to address the problems affecting the organization and the proprietor's dealing with," the regulator explained.
"In actuality, when you examine the past of the game, over the last 20 or 30 years there have been particular chairmen, few in number, but some who have been irresponsible in the way which they've been managing their teams and eventually refuse to accept accountability for the future."
Wednesday followers have been protesting against the team's chairman this season
'Errors may undo substantial development'
Kogan met with representatives from 110 clubs to lay out the remit of the authority recently and insisted it was a "proactive meeting" 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 world of football gets it wrong, the remarkable development accomplished necessary will vanish incredibly quickly," the regulator warned.
"Such an outcome is universally undesirable in the realm of domestic football is a major achievement - we've got to keep it going.
"There's an enormous amount of money flowing into the game and has been invested for the last 20 or 25 years, because there's no guarantee it will keep flowing into the sport, which is part of the rationale behind I think we have to take a really clear view on potential dangers and naturally, of the immediate future."
Premier League Concerns
Top flight officials resisted the formation of an authority because of apprehensions regarding adverse consequences on the elite division's competitive balance, but the chairman responded: "I completely endorse the achievement and development as an economic entity of the elite league.
"As someone who appreciates the apprehension regarding damaging the Premier League as a premium product of this country. But at the same time, if you engage with division representatives after this week's discussion, they would have had a substantial amount of confidence -and, indeed, they have been advising us privately they have a high level of reassurance."
Political Connections
The regulator remains subject to a "thorough examination" by the official appointments authority after he acknowledged providing funds to the Labour Party in the past.
The official provided financial support for Culture Secretary the politician's campaign, along with that of the now Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
"I have fully disclosed my former ideological connection [with Labour], and that ideological connection terminated the day the official body endorsed my nomination," Kogan said.
"I am presently disconnected from any sort of politics."
