'We are going to be a part of football's future' - independent football regulator the regulator's chair
Sheffield Wednesday's current difficulties constitute a "serious issue" and the independent regulator is seeking powers to look into club affairs in similar circumstances, the newly appointed chairman the official has declared.
During an extensive discussion, the regulator, who was recently selected, expressed "sympathy" towards Wednesday's fanbase.
Kogan met with four supporter groups connected to the South Yorkshire club this week.
The Championship side have been experiencing difficulties in multiple areas 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 substantial concern for English football," the regulator explained.
"Wednesday stands as one of the iconic names for football in England and recently we have met fan representatives.
"We're now looking to get powers... which will enable us to take Wednesday and comparable cases brought to our attention if they need to be investigated and addressed."
Monetary Issues and Leadership Concerns
The team's struggling chairman the Thai businessman suggested earlier this year he would be open to selling the club at the stadium, but he has failed to complete a sale with potential new owners.
Missed wage deadlines on time in March and May caused limitations by the football authorities in June, stopping Wednesday from completing any recruitment activities for the next three transfer windows, although the ban was rescinded in late summer.
Authority's Position
Kogan said: "Our role exists to serve the fans of Sheffield Wednesday, other clubs in similar situations where fans are dedicated to a local institution that has been part of their lives in many cases.
"I have absolute sympathy for Sheffield Wednesday, as I do for every team that in modern times have encountered failure, or been close to going to the wall, for causes separate from the fans themselves."
Questioned about whether the regulator could force an proprietor to divest a club if they are judged inappropriate, the chairman responded: "When asking whether 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the answer is once we assemble the facts and comprehend the circumstances, we will."
But Kogan stressed that forcing owners to sell clubs would be considered the final option and the oversight body would choose to work with them.
"Our least desirable course of action is commence engagement with an specific team, an specific proprietor, without having the opportunity to collaborate with that chairman to fix the problems affecting the organization and the chairman's encountering," Kogan said.
"But the truth is, when you examine the past of football, over the recent generations there have been particular chairmen, not many, but particular people who have shown negligence in the way which they've been managing their teams and eventually refuse to accept accountability for the long-term prospects."
Sheffield Wednesday supporters have been voicing opposition to the team's chairman during the current campaign
'Errors may undo substantial development'
Kogan met with representatives from 110 clubs to lay out the remit of the regulator on Wednesday and insisted it was a "progressive gathering" with a "substantial involvement" from the lower divisions to the top flight.
"It's a job that's actually really important, because if errors are made, if the football community fails, the remarkable development accomplished might evaporate rapidly," Kogan said.
"Such an outcome is universally undesirable in the realm of domestic football is a major achievement - we need to continue the progress.
"There's an enormous amount of money flowing into the game and has been channeled for the recent generations, because there's no guarantee it will continue to come into football, which is among the factors explaining I think we have to adopt a precise perspective on risk and of course, of the next two or three years."
Top Flight Apprehensions
Elite division representatives objected to the formation of an authority because of concerns about detrimental effects on the elite division's competitive balance, but the regulator stated: "I fully support the success and growth as an commercial operation of the top division.
"As someone who appreciates the concern of undermining the top flight as an elite competition of the nation. But simultaneously, if you talk to the Premier League after the recent gathering, they would have had a substantial amount of confidence -and, indeed, they have been telling us in private they have a high level of reassurance."
Political Connections
Kogan is still facing a "comprehensive investigation" by the Commissioner for Public Appointments after he disclosed making donations to the opposition group in recent years.
The chairman contributed funds to 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 political affiliation came to an end the day the official body endorsed my nomination," the chairman stated.
"I currently have no participation in any form of political activity."
