'We will play a key role in football's future' - independent football regulator the new chairman
The Championship club's ongoing struggles are seen as a "significant problem" and the football regulator is seeking powers to investigate clubs in similar circumstances, the recently named head the official has declared.
Through a comprehensive talk, Kogan, who was appointed on Monday, showed understanding towards supporters of the Owls.
Kogan met with four supporter groups connected to the South Yorkshire club recently.
The football club have been struggling on and off the field in 2025, with the club missing wage payments on several different times, including in last month.
"Clearly Sheffield Wednesday has been a major concern for the league and a major challenge for the sport," the regulator explained.
"Sheffield Wednesday is one of the great brands for football in England and this week we have met fan representatives.
"Our aim is to acquire the ability... which will allow us to have Wednesday and comparable cases submitted for our review if they need to be investigated and dealt with."
Monetary Issues and Leadership Concerns
The club's controversial proprietor Dejphon Chansiri stated during the off-season he would be prepared to relinquish control at Hillsborough, but he has been unable to finalize an agreement with potential new owners.
Failure to pay player wages on time in spring months led to sanctions by the English Football League (EFL) in June, preventing the club from carrying out any player acquisitions for the subsequent signing windows, although those limitations were removed in the end of the transfer window.
Regulator's Perspective
The chairman stated: "Our role exists to serve the supporters of Wednesday, Bury or any football club where fans are dedicated to a regional establishment that has been part of their lives in numerous instances.
"I fully appreciate the team's plight, as I do for each organization that in modern times have encountered failure, or been close to going to the wall, for reasons that have nothing to do with the supporters."
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 assemble the facts and comprehend the circumstances, we will."
But the regulator clarified that requiring chairmen to relinquish clubs would be treated as a "last resort" and the authority would rather to work with them.
"The last thing what we want to do is start getting involved with an particular organization, an individual owner, without being in a position to cooperate with that proprietor to address the problems affecting the organization and the proprietor's dealing with," the chairman stated.
"In actuality, when you review the record of the sport, over the last 20 or 30 years there have been some owners, not many, but some who have been irresponsible in the approach they have taken toward their teams and eventually refuse to accept accountability for the coming years."
Sheffield Wednesday supporters have been protesting against owner Dejphon Chansiri this season
'Errors may undo substantial development'
The chairman convened with delegates from multiple organizations to explain the responsibilities of the regulator on Wednesday and insisted it was a "proactive meeting" with a "high level of engagement" from the National League to the Premier League.
"It's a job that's actually really important, because should mistakes occur, if the world of football gets it wrong, the significant advances achieved necessary will vanish incredibly quickly," the regulator warned.
"This represents everyone's worst fear in the terms of English football is a major achievement - we need to continue the progress.
"There's an enormous amount of money coming into football and has been channeled for the last 20 or 25 years, because certainty is lacking it will continue to come into football, which is one of the reasons why I think we have to maintain a focused outlook on risk and of course, of the next two or three years."
Top Flight Apprehensions
Top flight officials resisted the establishment of an oversight body because of apprehensions regarding adverse consequences on the top-flight's competitiveness, but the regulator stated: "I fully support the success and growth as an commercial operation of the Premier League.
"Being fully aware of the apprehension regarding damaging 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 significant degree of comfort -and, in fact, they have been advising us privately they have a significant confidence."
Partisan Associations
The chairman continues to confront a "thorough examination" by the Commissioner for Public Appointments after he revealed he contributed money to the political party in the past.
The chairman donated money to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy's leadership campaign, along with that of the now Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
"I have been entirely transparent regarding my previous political affiliation [with Labour], and that party membership ceased the day the parliamentary committee confirmed my selection," Kogan said.
"I currently have no participation in any form of political activity."
