'Our role is integral to football's future' - newly appointed regulator the new chairman
The Championship club's current difficulties are seen as a "serious issue" and the independent regulator is aiming to acquire authority to look into club affairs in similar circumstances, the newly appointed chairman the regulator has announced.
During an extensive discussion, Kogan, who was appointed on Monday, showed understanding towards Wednesday's fanbase.
Kogan met with four supporter groups representing the Championship side this week.
The Championship side have been struggling on and off the field in 2025, with the club missing wage payments on multiple instances, including in September.
"Clearly Sheffield Wednesday has been a serious issue for football authorities and a significant problem for football," the chairman stated.
"The club represents one of the iconic names for English football and in recent days we have met fan representatives.
"We're now looking to get powers... which will allow us to have the club and similar situations submitted for our review if they need to be investigated and dealt with."
Financial Struggles and Leadership Concerns
The club's controversial proprietor the current owner suggested earlier this year he would be open to selling the club at their home ground, but he has not been able to secure a deal with potential new owners.
Missed wage deadlines on time in earlier this year caused limitations by the league officials in June, blocking the team from conducting any player acquisitions for the next three transfer windows, although the ban was rescinded in the end of the transfer window.
Authority's Position
The chairman stated: "Our role exists to serve the supporters of Wednesday, other clubs in similar situations where supporters are loyal to a local institution that has been part of their lives in many cases.
"I completely understand the team's plight, as I do for every team that in modern times have encountered failure, or been close to going to the wall, for factors unrelated to the followers."
Inquired if the authority might compel an owner to sell a club if they are judged inappropriate, Kogan said: "If your question is 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the answer is once we assemble the facts and comprehend the circumstances, we will."
But Kogan stressed that requiring chairmen to relinquish clubs would be considered the final option and the authority would rather to cooperate with proprietors.
"Our least desirable course of action is start getting involved with an individual club, an individual owner, without having the opportunity to collaborate with that proprietor to address the problems affecting the organization and the proprietor's dealing with," Kogan said.
"In actuality, when you look back over the history of the sport, over the last 20 or 30 years there have been particular chairmen, few in number, but particular people who have shown negligence in the manner they have operated their teams and eventually refuse to accept accountability for the long-term prospects."
Wednesday followers have been demonstrating against owner Dejphon Chansiri during the current campaign
'If we get it wrong, extraordinary progress vanishes'
The regulator engaged officials from numerous teams to explain the responsibilities of the oversight body this week and insisted it was a "forward-thinking discussion" with a "substantial involvement" from the grassroots to elite level.
"It's a job that's actually really important, because if we get it wrong, if the football community fails, the significant advances achieved could disappear incredibly quickly," Kogan said.
"And that's what nobody wants in the terms of English football is a major achievement - we must maintain momentum.
"Considerable investment flowing into the game and has been channeled for the last 20 or 25 years, because there are no assurances it will persist in entering the game, which is among the factors explaining I think we have to maintain a focused outlook on risk and of course, of the coming seasons."
Premier League Concerns
Top flight officials resisted the establishment of an oversight body because of fears of a negative impact on the elite division's competitive balance, but Kogan said: "I completely endorse the success and growth as an financial organization of the elite league.
"Being fully aware of the concern of undermining the division as a high-quality offering of the nation. But simultaneously, if you consult with top flight officials after the recent gathering, they would have had a high level of reassurance -and, in fact, they have been informing us confidentially they have a significant confidence."
Political Connections
Kogan is still facing a "thorough examination" by the public appointments commissioner after he disclosed making donations to the opposition group in recent years.
The chairman donated money to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy's leadership campaign, along with that of the government leader.
"I have fully disclosed my previous political affiliation [with Labour], and that ideological connection terminated the day the select committee approved my appointment," the regulator explained.
"I am no longer involved in any sort of politics."
