'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 "major concern" and the new football authority is aiming to acquire authority to look into club affairs in similar circumstances, the newly appointed chairman the regulator has announced.
During an extensive discussion, the regulator, who was recently selected, expressed "sympathy" towards Wednesday's fanbase.
Kogan met 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 last month.
"Clearly Sheffield Wednesday has been a major concern for the league and a major challenge for the sport," the chairman stated.
"The club represents one of the great brands for the English game and this week we have met Sheffield Wednesday supporters' groups.
"We are seeking authority... which will enable us to take Wednesday and comparable cases brought to our attention if they require examination and addressed."
Economic Challenges and Ownership Situation
Wednesday's embattled owner the current owner indicated in the summer he would be willing to sell up at the stadium, but he has not been able to secure a deal with interested parties.
Delayed salary payments on time in earlier this year led to sanctions by the league officials in June, preventing the club from carrying out any recruitment activities for the subsequent signing windows, although that restriction was lifted in August.
Authority's Position
Kogan said: "Our role exists to serve the Owls followers, other clubs in similar situations where fans are dedicated to a regional establishment that has been part of their lives in multiple situations.
"I completely understand the club's situation, as I do for each organization that in modern times have encountered failure, or nearly ceased operations, for causes separate from the supporters."
Questioned about whether the oversight body could require an chairman to relinquish a club if they are judged inappropriate, the regulator answered: "Should the inquiry concern 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the response would be once we collect the information and comprehend the circumstances, we will."
But the regulator clarified that requiring chairmen to relinquish clubs would be treated as a "last resort" and the regulator would prefer to work with them.
"The final option we would consider is start getting involved with an particular organization, an individual owner, without being in a position to cooperate with that owner to try and resolve the problems affecting the organization and the owner's facing," the regulator explained.
"However, realistically, when you look back over the history of the game, over the last 20 or 30 years there have been certain proprietors, not many, but certain individuals who have acted carelessly in the manner they have operated their teams and eventually refuse to accept accountability for the future."
Owls fans have been demonstrating against the current proprietor during the current campaign
'If we get it wrong, extraordinary progress vanishes'
Kogan met with representatives from 110 clubs to explain the responsibilities of the oversight body this week and stated it constituted a "forward-thinking discussion" with a "high level of engagement" from the grassroots to elite level.
"This position carries substantial significance, because if we get it wrong, if the football community fails, the significant advances achieved could disappear incredibly quickly," the chairman stated.
"This represents everyone's worst fear in the terms of English football is a major achievement - we must maintain momentum.
"There's an enormous amount of money coming into football and has been channeled for the last 20 or 25 years, because certainty is lacking it will continue to come into football, which is one of the reasons why I think we have to maintain a focused outlook on challenges and obviously, of the immediate future."
Elite Division Worries
Top flight officials resisted 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 prosperity and expansion as an commercial operation of the Premier League.
"Being fully aware of the concern of undermining the division as a high-quality offering of England. But concurrently, if you consult with top flight officials after the recent gathering, they would have had a significant degree of comfort -and, actually, they have been telling us in private they have a high level of reassurance."
Ideological Links
The regulator remains subject to a "full inquiry" by the official appointments authority after he disclosed making donations to the political party in the past.
The official donated money to Culture Secretary 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 regulator explained.
"I am no longer involved in any type of partisan engagement."
