'We will play a key role in football's future' - independent football regulator the new chairman
Sheffield Wednesday's persistent issues represent a a "significant problem" and the football regulator is aiming to acquire authority to examine team situations in similar circumstances, its new chair the official has announced.
During an extensive discussion, the chairman, who was appointed on Monday, expressed "sympathy" towards Wednesday's fanbase.
Kogan met with four fan organizations associated with the South Yorkshire club recently.
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 September.
"Obviously the club has become a major concern for the league and a major challenge for the sport," the regulator explained.
"Sheffield Wednesday is one of the iconic names for English football and this week we have met Sheffield Wednesday supporters' groups.
"Our aim is to acquire the ability... which will allow us to have Sheffield Wednesday - and other clubs referred to us if they need to be investigated and addressed."
Economic Challenges and Leadership Concerns
The team's struggling chairman the Thai businessman indicated in the summer he would be open to selling the club at Hillsborough, but he has been unable to finalize an agreement with potential new owners.
Failure to pay player wages on time in earlier this year caused limitations by the football authorities in summer, preventing the club from carrying out any player acquisitions for the subsequent signing windows, although the ban was rescinded in August.
Official's Viewpoint
Kogan said: "Our role exists to serve the fans of Sheffield Wednesday, Bury or any football club where people are committed to a local institution that has been part of their lives in numerous instances.
"I completely understand the club's situation, as I do for every team that over recent decades have faced collapse, or been close to going to the wall, for reasons that have nothing to do with the fans themselves."
Questioned about whether the authority might compel an owner to sell a club if they are judged inappropriate, Kogan said: "When asking whether 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the response would be once we assemble the facts and comprehend the circumstances, we will."
But the chairman emphasized that forcing owners to sell clubs would be viewed as the ultimate measure and the oversight body would choose to work with them.
"The final option we would consider is commence engagement with an particular organization, an specific proprietor, without being able to work with that chairman to fix the problems affecting the organization and the proprietor's dealing with," the chairman stated.
"However, realistically, when you look back over the history of football, over the last 20 or 30 years there have been particular chairmen, a small minority, but certain individuals who have acted carelessly in the manner they have operated their organizations and finally refuse to accept accountability for the future."
Owls fans have been protesting against the current proprietor in recent months
'Errors may undo substantial development'
Kogan met with officials from numerous teams to explain the responsibilities of the regulator on Wednesday and insisted it was a "forward-thinking discussion" with a "significant participation" from the grassroots to elite level.
"The role holds considerable importance, because should mistakes occur, if the world of football gets it wrong, the significant advances achieved could disappear rapidly," the regulator warned.
"Such an outcome is universally undesirable in the terms of English football is a substantial accomplishment - 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 one of the reasons why I think we have to maintain a focused outlook on challenges and obviously, of the next two or three years."
Premier League Concerns
Elite division representatives objected to the formation of an authority because of fears of a negative impact on the top-flight's competitiveness, but the chairman responded: "I fully support the prosperity and expansion as an economic entity of the top division.
"As someone who appreciates the worry about compromising the Premier League as a premium product of this country. But simultaneously, if you talk to the Premier League after the recent gathering, they would have had a substantial amount of confidence -and, indeed, they have been advising us privately they have a high level of reassurance."
Ideological Links
The chairman continues to confront a "thorough examination" by the official appointments authority after he acknowledged providing funds to the opposition group in 2020.
The 68-year-old contributed funds to government minister Lisa Nandy's leadership 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 parliamentary committee confirmed my selection," Kogan said.
"I am presently disconnected from any type of partisan engagement."
