'We are going to be a part of football's future' - independent football regulator David Kogan
Sheffield Wednesday's persistent issues are seen as a "major concern" and the independent regulator is aiming to acquire authority to look into club affairs in similar circumstances, its new chair the regulator has declared.
During an extensive discussion, Kogan, who was named to the position this week, voiced concern towards the club's followers.
Kogan met with four supporter groups representing the football team recently.
The team have been facing challenges both on and off the pitch in 2025, with the club failing to pay players on time on multiple instances, including in the autumn.
"Obviously the club has become a serious issue for football authorities and a significant problem for football," the regulator explained.
"Sheffield Wednesday is one of the great brands for the English game and recently we have met supporters' organizations.
"We're now looking to get powers... which will enable us to take Sheffield Wednesday - and other clubs submitted for our review if they need to be investigated and acted upon."
Economic Challenges and Leadership Concerns
The team's struggling chairman Dejphon Chansiri indicated in the summer he would be open to selling the club at their home ground, but he has failed to complete a sale with interested parties.
Delayed salary payments on time in earlier this year resulted in restrictions being imposed by the English Football League (EFL) in summer, blocking the team from conducting any recruitment activities for the next three transfer windows, although those limitations were removed in late summer.
Authority's Position
Kogan said: "The job [of the regulator] is there for the supporters of Wednesday, other clubs in similar situations where fans are dedicated to a local institution that has represented their community in many cases.
"I completely understand Sheffield Wednesday, as I do for every team that since 1992 have gone to the wall, or approached financial ruin, for causes separate from the followers."
Inquired if the regulator could force an proprietor to divest a club if they are considered unfit, Kogan said: "When asking whether 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the response would be once we gather the evidence and know what's going on, we will."
But the regulator clarified that compelling proprietors to divest clubs would be viewed as the ultimate measure and the authority would rather to work with them.
"The last thing what we want to do is start getting involved with an individual club, an specific proprietor, without being in a position to cooperate with that proprietor to address the problems affecting the organization and the owner's facing," the regulator explained.
"However, realistically, when you look back over the history of the sport, over the last 20 or 30 years there have been certain proprietors, a small minority, but some who have been irresponsible in the way which they've been managing their organizations and finally refuse to accept accountability for the coming years."
Sheffield Wednesday supporters have been demonstrating against the team's chairman during the current campaign
'If we get it wrong, extraordinary progress vanishes'
The regulator engaged officials from numerous teams to lay out the remit of the regulator on Wednesday and insisted it was a "progressive gathering" with a "high level of engagement" from the grassroots to elite level.
"It's a job that's actually really important, because if we get it wrong, if the football community fails, the significant advances achieved might evaporate rapidly," the regulator warned.
"This represents everyone's worst fear in the terms of English football is a huge success story - we've got to keep it going.
"Considerable investment flowing into the game and has come into football for the last 20 or 25 years, because there are no assurances 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 coming seasons."
Premier League Concerns
The Premier League opposed the establishment of an oversight body because of apprehensions regarding adverse consequences on the top-flight's competitiveness, but the chairman responded: "I fully support the prosperity and expansion as an commercial operation of the elite league.
"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 today's meeting, they would have had a significant degree of comfort -and, indeed, they have been informing us confidentially they have a high level of reassurance."
Political Connections
Kogan is still facing a "thorough examination" by the Commissioner for Public Appointments after he revealed he contributed money to the opposition group in recent years.
The chairman contributed funds 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 parliamentary committee confirmed my selection," the chairman stated.
"I am no longer involved in any type of partisan engagement."
