'We will play a key role in football's future' - newly appointed regulator the new chairman
Sheffield Wednesday's persistent issues constitute a "significant problem" and the independent regulator is seeking powers to investigate clubs in similar circumstances, the recently named head the official has declared.
During an extensive discussion, Kogan, who was recently selected, expressed "sympathy" towards the club's followers.
The regulator engaged with four supporter groups representing the South Yorkshire club this week.
The team have been experiencing difficulties in multiple areas in 2025, with the club missing wage payments on multiple instances, 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.
"Wednesday stands as one of the historic institutions for football in England and recently we have met fan representatives.
"We are seeking authority... which will enable us to take the club and similar situations submitted for our review if they warrant scrutiny and addressed."
Economic Challenges and Proprietorship Status
The team's struggling chairman the Thai businessman suggested earlier this year he would be open to selling the club at Hillsborough, but he has not been able to secure a deal with interested parties.
Failure to pay player wages on time in spring months caused limitations by the football authorities in June, stopping Wednesday from completing any transfers or loans for the following recruitment periods, although that restriction was lifted in late summer.
Authority's Position
Kogan said: "The position was created for the Owls followers, Bury or any football club where supporters are loyal to a community organization that has existed throughout their lifetimes in numerous instances.
"I have absolute sympathy for Sheffield Wednesday, as I do for each organization that in modern times have encountered failure, or been close to going to the wall, for reasons that have nothing to do with the fans themselves."
When asked if the regulator could force an proprietor to divest a club if they are judged inappropriate, the chairman responded: "If your question is 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the answer is once we assemble the facts and understand the situation, we will."
But the regulator clarified that requiring chairmen to relinquish clubs would be considered the final option and the authority would rather to work with them.
"The final option we would consider is commence engagement with an individual club, an individual owner, without having the opportunity to collaborate with that proprietor to address the challenges confronting the team and the owner's facing," the regulator explained.
"But the truth is, when you look back over the history of football, over the last 20 or 30 years there have been some owners, a small minority, but certain individuals who have acted carelessly in the manner they have operated their organizations and finally don't wish to take responsibility for the future."
Sheffield Wednesday supporters have been voicing opposition to the team's chairman during the current campaign
'Errors may undo substantial development'
The regulator engaged delegates from multiple organizations to lay out the remit of the oversight body this week and insisted it was a "forward-thinking discussion" with a "significant participation" from the grassroots to elite level.
"This position carries substantial significance, because if we get it wrong, if the sport makes errors, the significant advances achieved could disappear rapidly," Kogan said.
"And that's what nobody wants in the terms of English football is a huge success story - we must maintain momentum.
"There's an enormous amount of money flowing into the game and has come into football for the recent generations, because certainty is lacking it will continue to come into football, which is part of the rationale behind I think we have to maintain a focused outlook on potential dangers and naturally, of the immediate future."
Top Flight Apprehensions
The Premier League opposed the formation of an authority because of fears of a negative impact on the Premier League's sporting equality, but Kogan said: "I completely endorse the success and growth as an commercial operation of the top division.
"I of all people understand the apprehension regarding damaging the Premier League as a premium product of this country. But concurrently, 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 significant confidence."
Political Connections
Kogan is still facing a "full inquiry" by the public appointments commissioner after he disclosed making donations to the Labour Party in recent years.
The official provided financial support for Culture Secretary the politician's campaign, along with that of the current Prime Minister.
"I have fully disclosed my former ideological connection [with Labour], and that political affiliation came to an end the day the parliamentary committee confirmed my selection," the regulator explained.
"I am presently disconnected from any sort of politics."
