'We will play a key role in football's future' - independent football regulator the regulator's chair
The Championship club's persistent issues represent a a "major concern" and the football regulator is seeking powers to look into club affairs in comparable cases, its new chair the official has stated.
In a wide-ranging interview, the chairman, who was named to the position this week, showed understanding towards supporters of the Owls.
Kogan met with four fan organizations connected to the football team this week.
The Championship side have been experiencing difficulties in multiple areas in 2025, with the club missing wage payments on multiple instances, including in September.
"Evidently Wednesday represents a major concern for the league and a substantial concern for English football," Kogan told.
"The club represents one of the historic institutions for English football and this week we have met fan representatives.
"We're now looking to get powers... which will enable us to take the club and similar situations referred to us if they require examination and dealt with."
Economic Challenges and Proprietorship Status
The team's struggling chairman the Thai businessman stated during the off-season he would be open to selling the club at Hillsborough, but he has failed to complete a sale with prospective buyers.
Missed wage deadlines on time in spring months caused limitations by the English Football League (EFL) in June, blocking the team from conducting any transfers or loans for the following recruitment periods, although the ban was rescinded in late summer.
Authority's Position
The regulator explained: "Our role exists to serve the fans of Sheffield Wednesday, Bury or any football club where supporters are loyal to a community organization that has been part of their lives in many cases.
"I have absolute sympathy for Sheffield Wednesday, as I do for each organization that over recent decades have faced collapse, or nearly ceased operations, for reasons that have nothing to do with the fans themselves."
Questioned about whether the regulator could force an owner to sell a club if they are considered unfit, the regulator answered: "When asking whether 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the reply is once we assemble the facts and know what's going on, we will."
But the regulator clarified that forcing owners to sell clubs would be viewed as the ultimate measure and the oversight body would choose to work with them.
"The last thing what we want to do is begin intervening in an specific team, an individual owner, without being in a position to cooperate with that proprietor to address the issues that the club's facing and the proprietor's dealing with," the chairman stated.
"But the truth is, when you examine the past of the game, over the last 20 or 30 years there have been particular chairmen, not many, but some who have been irresponsible in the manner they have operated their clubs and ultimately refuse to accept accountability for the coming years."
Owls fans have been protesting against the team's chairman during the current campaign
'Errors may undo substantial development'
The regulator engaged officials from numerous teams to explain the responsibilities of the authority recently and stated it constituted a "proactive meeting" with a "significant participation" from the National League to the Premier League.
"The role holds considerable importance, because if errors are made, if the football community fails, the extraordinary progress that's been made necessary will vanish incredibly quickly," Kogan said.
"And that's what nobody wants in the terms of English football is a huge success story - we need to continue the progress.
"There's an enormous amount of money coming into football and has been invested for the recent generations, because there's no guarantee it will continue to come into football, which is part of the rationale behind I think we have to take a really clear view on potential dangers and naturally, of the next two or three years."
Top Flight Apprehensions
The Premier League opposed the establishment of an oversight body because of fears of a negative impact on the top-flight's competitiveness, but the chairman responded: "I fully support the achievement and development as an financial organization of the top division.
"As someone who appreciates the apprehension regarding damaging the Premier League as a premium product of England. But simultaneously, if you engage with division representatives after today's meeting, they would have had a high level of reassurance -and, in fact, they have been telling us in private they have a significant confidence."
Political Connections
The regulator remains subject to a "full inquiry" by the public appointments commissioner after he revealed he contributed money to the political party in the past.
The official contributed funds to Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport the minister's leadership bid, along with that of the current Prime Minister.
"I have fully disclosed my former ideological connection [with Labour], and that party membership ceased the day the parliamentary committee confirmed my selection," the chairman stated.
"I currently have no participation in any type of partisan engagement."
