'We will play a key role in football's future' - football oversight chief the regulator's chair
The team's current difficulties are seen as a "significant problem" and the new football authority is looking to gain the ability to examine team situations in similar circumstances, the newly appointed chairman the regulator has declared.
In a wide-ranging interview, Kogan, who was appointed on Monday, voiced concern towards supporters of the Owls.
The regulator engaged with four supporter groups representing the Championship side this week.
The team have been experiencing difficulties in multiple areas in 2025, with the club failing to pay players on time on five separate occasions, including in last month.
"Obviously the club has become a major concern for the league and a significant problem for football," the regulator explained.
"Sheffield Wednesday is one of the great brands for English football and recently we have met supporters' organizations.
"Our aim is to acquire the ability... which will permit us to bring the club and similar situations brought to our attention if they require examination and acted upon."
Financial Struggles and Leadership Concerns
Wednesday's embattled owner Dejphon Chansiri suggested earlier this year he would be willing to sell up at the stadium, but he has been unable to finalize an agreement with interested parties.
Missed wage deadlines on time in earlier this year resulted in restrictions being imposed by the football authorities in June, blocking the team from conducting any recruitment activities for the next three transfer windows, although those limitations were removed in August.
Regulator's Perspective
The regulator explained: "Our role exists to serve the supporters of Wednesday, Bury or any football club where supporters are loyal to a community organization that has existed throughout their lifetimes in numerous instances.
"I fully appreciate the team's plight, as I do for each organization that in modern times have encountered failure, or approached financial ruin, for factors unrelated to the fans themselves."
Questioned about whether the oversight body could require an proprietor to divest a club if they are deemed unsuitable, the regulator answered: "If your question is 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the reply is once we assemble the facts and know what's going on, we will."
But Kogan stressed that compelling proprietors to divest clubs would be treated as a "last resort" and the regulator would prefer to cooperate with proprietors.
"The last thing what we want to do is commence engagement with an particular organization, an individual owner, without being able to work with that proprietor to address the problems affecting the organization and the chairman's encountering," the regulator explained.
"In actuality, when you review the record of the sport, over the last 20 or 30 years there have been particular chairmen, not many, but some who have been irresponsible in the approach they have taken toward their clubs and ultimately refuse to accept accountability for the coming years."
Sheffield Wednesday supporters have been demonstrating against the team's chairman in recent months
'Mistakes could erase significant advances'
The regulator engaged representatives from 110 clubs to explain the responsibilities of the oversight body this week and stated it constituted a "progressive gathering" with a "high level of engagement" from the National League to the Premier League.
"This position carries substantial significance, because should mistakes occur, if the world of football gets it wrong, the remarkable development accomplished could disappear incredibly quickly," 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.
"There's an enormous amount of money coming into football and has come into football for the last 20 or 25 years, because there are no assurances it will keep flowing into the sport, which is part of the rationale behind I think we have to take a really clear view on risk and of course, of the immediate future."
Premier League Concerns
The Premier League opposed the establishment of an oversight body because of concerns about detrimental effects on the top-flight's competitiveness, but the chairman responded: "I'm absolutely committed to the prosperity and expansion as an economic entity of the top division.
"I of all people understand the worry about compromising the division as a high-quality offering of this country. But concurrently, if you talk to the Premier League after this week's discussion, they would have had a substantial amount of confidence -and, actually, they have been advising us privately they have a high level of reassurance."
Political Connections
The regulator remains subject to a "thorough examination" by the public appointments commissioner after he disclosed making donations to the opposition group in 2020.
The chairman provided financial support for government minister the politician's campaign, along with that of the government leader.
"I have fully disclosed my former ideological connection [with Labour], and that party membership ceased the day the official body endorsed my nomination," the regulator explained.
"I am presently disconnected from any sort of politics."
