'We will play a key role in football's future' - newly appointed regulator the regulator's chair
Sheffield Wednesday's ongoing struggles represent a a "major concern" and the football regulator is seeking powers to investigate clubs in similar circumstances, its new chair David Kogan has declared.
In a wide-ranging interview, the chairman, who was appointed on Monday, expressed "sympathy" towards Wednesday's fanbase.
The chairman convened with four supporters' associations representing the football team this week.
The team have been experiencing difficulties in multiple areas in 2025, with the club missing wage payments on five separate occasions, including in last month.
"Evidently Wednesday represents a major concern for the league and a significant problem for football," Kogan told.
"Wednesday stands as one of the great brands for the English game and in recent days we have met fan representatives.
"Our aim is to acquire the ability... which will allow us to have the club and similar situations brought to our attention if they require examination and addressed."
Monetary Issues and Proprietorship Status
Wednesday's embattled owner the current owner stated during the off-season he would be prepared to relinquish control at their home ground, but he has not been able to secure a deal with potential new owners.
Delayed salary payments on time in March and May caused limitations by the football authorities in mid-year, blocking the team from conducting any player acquisitions for the next three transfer windows, although those limitations were removed in August.
Authority's Position
Kogan said: "The position was created for the fans of Sheffield Wednesday, Bury or any football club where fans are dedicated to a community organization that has represented their community in numerous instances.
"I completely understand the club's situation, as I do for all the clubs that since 1992 have gone to the wall, or been close to going to the wall, for causes separate from the fans themselves."
Inquired if the regulator could force an chairman to relinquish a club if they are judged inappropriate, Kogan said: "Should the inquiry concern 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the answer is once we assemble the facts and know what's going on, we will."
But the chairman emphasized that compelling proprietors to divest clubs would be viewed as the ultimate measure and the authority would rather to cooperate with proprietors.
"The final option we would consider is commence engagement with an individual club, an individual owner, without having the opportunity to collaborate with that owner to try and resolve the challenges confronting the team and the chairman's encountering," Kogan said.
"However, realistically, when you look back over the history of the sport, over the last 20 or 30 years there have been some owners, not many, but certain individuals who have acted carelessly in the approach they have taken toward their teams and eventually don't wish to take responsibility for the long-term prospects."
Owls fans have been voicing opposition to the current proprietor this season
'Mistakes could erase significant advances'
The regulator engaged representatives from 110 clubs to lay out the remit of the regulator on Wednesday and stated it constituted a "forward-thinking discussion" with a "high level of engagement" from the lower divisions to the top flight.
"It's a job that's actually really important, because should mistakes occur, if the sport makes errors, the remarkable development accomplished could disappear rapidly," 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.
"There's an enormous amount of money flowing into the game and has been channeled for the past two decades, because certainty is lacking it will continue to come into football, which is one of the reasons why I think we have to take a really clear view on risk and of course, of the coming seasons."
Elite Division Worries
Top flight officials resisted the formation of an authority because of apprehensions regarding adverse consequences on the Premier League's sporting equality, but the regulator stated: "I'm absolutely committed to the success and growth as an financial organization of the top division.
"As someone who appreciates the worry about compromising the division as a high-quality offering of England. But simultaneously, if you talk to the Premier League after this week's discussion, they would have had a high level of reassurance -and, indeed, they have been informing us confidentially they have a significant confidence."
Political Connections
The chairman continues to confront a "comprehensive investigation" by the official appointments authority after he revealed he contributed money to the Labour Party in 2020.
The chairman provided financial support for Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Lisa Nandy's leadership campaign, along with that of the current Prime Minister.
"I have been entirely transparent regarding my previous political affiliation [with Labour], and that ideological connection terminated the day the select committee approved my appointment," the chairman stated.
"I am presently disconnected from any type of partisan engagement."
