'We are going to be a part of football's future' - independent football regulator David Kogan
Sheffield Wednesday's current difficulties represent a a "major concern" and the new football authority is aiming to acquire authority to examine team situations in such situations, the newly appointed chairman the official has announced.
In a wide-ranging interview, Kogan, who was named to the position this week, voiced concern towards supporters of the Owls.
Kogan met with four fan organizations representing the football team in recent days.
The team have been struggling on and off the field in 2025, with the club failing to pay players on time on several different times, including in last month.
"Clearly Sheffield Wednesday has been a significant problem for EFL and a significant problem for football," Kogan told.
"The club represents one of the iconic names for football in England and in recent days we have met fan representatives.
"We're now looking to get powers... which will permit us to bring Wednesday and comparable cases submitted for our review if they warrant scrutiny and acted upon."
Financial Struggles and Proprietorship Status
The team's struggling chairman the current owner suggested earlier this year he would be willing to sell up at the stadium, but he has not been able to secure a deal with prospective buyers.
Missed wage deadlines on time in spring months caused limitations by the football authorities in June, preventing the club from carrying out any recruitment activities for the subsequent signing windows, although those limitations were removed in August.
Official's Viewpoint
Kogan said: "The job [of the regulator] is there for the fans of Sheffield Wednesday, Bury or any football club where fans are dedicated to a community organization that has existed throughout their lifetimes in many cases.
"I have absolute sympathy for the team's plight, as I do for all the clubs that in modern times have encountered failure, or approached financial ruin, for factors unrelated to the fans themselves."
Inquired if the authority might compel an owner to sell a club if they are deemed unsuitable, the chairman responded: "When asking whether 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the reply is once we collect the information and know what's going on, we will."
But the regulator clarified that requiring chairmen to relinquish clubs would be viewed as the ultimate measure and the authority would rather to collaborate with owners.
"The final option we would consider is begin intervening in an specific team, an individual owner, without having the opportunity to collaborate with that chairman to fix the issues that the club's facing and the chairman's encountering," Kogan said.
"In actuality, when you look back over the history of the game, over the recent generations there have been particular chairmen, not many, but particular people who have shown negligence in the manner they have operated their clubs and ultimately decline to assume obligation for the long-term prospects."
Sheffield Wednesday supporters have been voicing opposition to the team's chairman this season
'If we get it wrong, extraordinary progress vanishes'
The chairman convened with representatives from 110 clubs to explain the responsibilities of the regulator on Wednesday and maintained it represented a "progressive gathering" with a "high level of engagement" from the grassroots to elite level.
"The role holds considerable importance, because if we get it wrong, if the sport makes errors, the remarkable development accomplished might evaporate swiftly," Kogan said.
"This represents everyone's worst fear in the context of the English game is a major achievement - we've got to keep it going.
"Considerable investment coming into football and has come into football for the recent generations, because there are no assurances it will continue to come into football, which is part of the rationale behind 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 Premier League's sporting equality, but the chairman responded: "I completely endorse the achievement and development as an financial organization of the top division.
"As someone who appreciates the worry about compromising the division as a high-quality offering of the nation. But at the same time, if you talk to the Premier League after today's meeting, they would have had a significant degree of comfort -and, actually, they have been informing us confidentially they have a considerable comfort."
Ideological Links
Kogan is still facing a "full inquiry" by the official appointments authority after he acknowledged providing funds to the opposition group in the past.
The 68-year-old provided financial support for Culture Secretary the politician's campaign, along with that of the government leader.
"I have fully disclosed my past party membership [with Labour], and that political affiliation came to an end the day the official body endorsed my nomination," Kogan said.
"I currently have no participation in any type of partisan engagement."
