'Our role is integral to football's future' - football oversight chief the regulator's chair
Sheffield Wednesday's current difficulties are seen as a "serious issue" and the new football authority is looking to gain the ability to investigate clubs in such situations, the recently named head David Kogan has announced.
In a wide-ranging interview, Kogan, who was named to the position this week, showed understanding towards the club's followers.
The chairman convened with four supporters' associations connected to the Championship side 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 last month.
"Evidently Wednesday represents a significant problem for EFL and a substantial concern for English football," Kogan told.
"Sheffield Wednesday is one of the historic institutions for football in England and in recent days we have met fan representatives.
"We are seeking authority... which will permit us to bring Wednesday and comparable cases referred to us if they need to be investigated and acted upon."
Financial Struggles and Ownership Situation
The team's struggling chairman the Thai businessman suggested earlier this year he would be prepared to relinquish control at the stadium, but he has been unable to finalize an agreement with prospective buyers.
Delayed salary payments on time in March and May led to sanctions by the league officials in June, preventing the club from carrying out any recruitment activities for the subsequent signing windows, although that restriction was lifted in the end of the transfer window.
Regulator's Perspective
Kogan said: "Our role exists to serve the fans of Sheffield Wednesday, other clubs in similar situations where supporters are loyal to a community organization that has existed throughout their lifetimes in many cases.
"I have absolute sympathy for the club's situation, as I do for each organization that since 1992 have gone to the wall, or been close to going to the wall, for reasons that have nothing to do with the fans themselves."
Questioned about whether the oversight body could require an chairman to relinquish a club if they are considered unfit, Kogan said: "Should the inquiry concern 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the reply is once we assemble the facts and understand the situation, we will."
But Kogan stressed that requiring chairmen to relinquish clubs would be considered the final option and the authority would rather to work with them.
"The final option we would consider is begin intervening in an individual club, an individual owner, without being able to work with that proprietor to address the challenges confronting the team and the owner's facing," the regulator explained.
"But the truth is, when you review the record of football, over the last 20 or 30 years there have been certain proprietors, few in number, but certain individuals who have acted carelessly in the approach they have taken toward their organizations and finally refuse to accept accountability for the future."
Wednesday followers have been demonstrating against the team's chairman this season
'If we get it wrong, extraordinary progress vanishes'
Kogan met with officials from numerous teams to detail the scope of the regulator on Wednesday and maintained it represented a "forward-thinking discussion" with a "high level of engagement" from the National League to the Premier League.
"The role holds considerable importance, because should mistakes occur, if the football community fails, the significant advances achieved necessary will vanish incredibly quickly," Kogan said.
"And that's what nobody wants in the terms of English football is a huge success story - we need to continue the progress.
"Substantial financial resources coming into football and has been invested for the last 20 or 25 years, because there's no guarantee it will keep flowing into the sport, which is part of the rationale behind I think we have to maintain a focused outlook on risk and of course, of the coming seasons."
Elite Division Worries
Elite division representatives objected to the creation of a regulator because of concerns about detrimental effects on the Premier League's sporting equality, but the chairman responded: "I'm absolutely committed to the achievement and development as an economic entity of the top division.
"Being fully aware of the worry about compromising the Premier League as a premium product of England. But at the same time, if you talk to the Premier League after the recent gathering, they would have had a high level of reassurance -and, actually, they have been advising us privately they have a significant confidence."
Political Connections
The chairman continues to confront a "thorough examination" by the public appointments commissioner after he acknowledged providing funds to the Labour Party in the past.
The official provided financial support for government minister the minister's leadership bid, along with that of the now Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
"I've been completely open about my previous political affiliation [with Labour], and that party membership ceased the day the parliamentary committee confirmed my selection," the chairman stated.
"I am presently disconnected from any type of partisan engagement."
