'We are going to be a part of football's future' - football oversight chief the new chairman
The Championship club's persistent issues are seen as a "significant problem" and the independent regulator is aiming to acquire authority to look into club affairs in comparable cases, the newly appointed chairman the official has stated.
During an extensive discussion, the regulator, who was named to the position this week, showed understanding towards supporters of the Owls.
The regulator engaged with four supporter groups representing the football team in recent days.
The team have been facing challenges both on and off the pitch in 2025, with the club delaying salary disbursements on five separate occasions, including in September.
"Obviously the club has become a serious issue for football authorities and a major challenge for the sport," Kogan told.
"The club represents one of the great brands for English football and recently we have met supporters' organizations.
"Our aim is to acquire the ability... which will enable us to take the club and similar situations submitted for our review if they need to be investigated and acted upon."
Monetary Issues and Ownership Situation
The club's controversial proprietor Dejphon Chansiri indicated in the summer he would be prepared to relinquish control at Hillsborough, but he has failed to complete a sale with interested parties.
Delayed salary payments on time in March and May led to sanctions by the football authorities in mid-year, preventing the club from carrying out any recruitment activities for the subsequent signing windows, although that restriction was lifted in late summer.
Regulator's Perspective
The regulator explained: "Our role exists to serve the supporters of Wednesday, other clubs in similar situations where supporters are loyal to a regional establishment that has existed throughout their lifetimes in numerous instances.
"I have absolute sympathy for Sheffield Wednesday, as I do for every team that since 1992 have gone to the wall, or been close to going to the wall, for causes separate from the followers."
Questioned about whether the regulator could force an owner to sell a club if they are considered unfit, Kogan said: "If your question is 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the response would be once we gather the evidence and understand the situation, we will."
But Kogan stressed that compelling proprietors to divest clubs would be viewed as the ultimate measure and the oversight body would choose to cooperate with proprietors.
"The final option we would consider is start getting involved with an particular organization, an particular chairman, without being in a position to cooperate with that chairman to fix the issues that the club's facing and the proprietor's dealing with," the chairman stated.
"In actuality, when you look back over the history of the sport, over the last 20 or 30 years there have been particular chairmen, a small minority, but some who have been irresponsible in the way which they've been managing their organizations and finally refuse to accept accountability for the coming years."
Wednesday followers have been protesting against the current proprietor in recent months
'Errors may undo substantial development'
Kogan met with representatives from 110 clubs 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.
"The role holds considerable importance, because should mistakes occur, if the world of football gets it wrong, the significant advances achieved might evaporate swiftly," 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.
"Considerable investment coming into football and has come into football for the recent generations, because there are no assurances it will keep flowing into the sport, which is among the factors explaining I think we have to adopt a precise perspective on potential dangers and naturally, of the immediate future."
Premier League Concerns
The Premier League opposed the establishment of an oversight body because of apprehensions regarding adverse consequences on the elite division's competitive balance, but Kogan said: "I completely endorse the achievement and development as an financial organization of the Premier League.
"As someone who appreciates the apprehension regarding damaging the Premier League as a premium product of this country. But concurrently, if you consult with top flight officials after today's meeting, they would have had a significant degree of comfort -and, in fact, they have been telling us in private they have a considerable comfort."
Political Connections
The chairman continues to confront a "full inquiry" by the public appointments commissioner after he revealed he contributed money to the opposition group in 2020.
The chairman provided financial support for government minister the minister's leadership bid, along with that of the current Prime Minister.
"I have been entirely transparent regarding my past party membership [with Labour], and that political affiliation came to an end the day the official body endorsed my nomination," the regulator explained.
"I am no longer involved in any form of political activity."
