'We are going to be a part of football's future' - football oversight chief the regulator's chair
Sheffield Wednesday's ongoing struggles are seen as a "serious issue" and the football regulator is aiming to acquire authority to examine team situations in comparable cases, its new chair the official has announced.
In a wide-ranging interview, the regulator, who was named to the position this week, showed understanding towards Wednesday's fanbase.
The chairman convened with four supporters' associations representing the football team in recent days.
The Championship side have been struggling on and off the field in 2025, with the club delaying salary disbursements on five separate occasions, including in the autumn.
"Clearly Sheffield Wednesday has been a major concern for the league and a substantial concern for English football," Kogan told.
"Sheffield Wednesday is one of the iconic names for the English game and recently we have met fan representatives.
"Our aim is to acquire the ability... which will enable us to take Sheffield Wednesday - and other clubs brought to our attention if they warrant scrutiny and dealt with."
Monetary Issues and Leadership Concerns
Wednesday's embattled owner Dejphon Chansiri stated during the off-season he would be willing to sell up at Hillsborough, but he has failed to complete a sale with prospective buyers.
Failure to pay player wages on time in spring months resulted in restrictions being imposed by the football authorities in mid-year, blocking the team from conducting any transfers or loans for the subsequent signing windows, although the ban was rescinded in August.
Official's Viewpoint
The regulator explained: "Our role exists to serve the fans of Sheffield Wednesday, teams facing challenges where people are committed to a local institution that has represented their community in many cases.
"I completely understand the team's plight, as I do for each organization that since 1992 have gone to the wall, or approached financial ruin, for reasons that have nothing to do with the supporters."
Inquired if the oversight body could require an proprietor to divest a club if they are considered unfit, the chairman responded: "If your question is 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the response would be once we assemble the facts and understand the situation, we will."
But Kogan stressed that compelling proprietors to divest clubs would be considered the final option and the authority would rather to work with them.
"The final option we would consider is start getting involved with an particular organization, an particular chairman, without being able to work with that chairman to fix the challenges confronting the team and the proprietor's dealing with," the regulator explained.
"In actuality, when you look back over the history of the game, over the recent generations there have been certain proprietors, not many, but certain individuals who have acted carelessly in the approach they have taken toward their organizations and finally don't wish to take responsibility for the long-term prospects."
Wednesday followers have been voicing opposition to the current proprietor in recent months
'Errors may undo substantial development'
The regulator engaged representatives from 110 clubs to detail the scope of the authority recently and maintained it represented a "progressive gathering" with a "high level of engagement" from the National League to the Premier League.
"It's a job that's actually really important, because if errors are made, if the football community fails, the remarkable development accomplished necessary will vanish swiftly," the chairman stated.
"Such an outcome is universally undesirable in the terms of English football is a substantial accomplishment - we've got to keep it going.
"Substantial financial resources coming into football and has been channeled for the last 20 or 25 years, because there are no assurances it will keep flowing into the sport, which is among the factors explaining I think we have to maintain a focused outlook on risk and of course, of the immediate future."
Top Flight Apprehensions
Top flight officials resisted the creation of a regulator because of fears of a negative impact on the elite division's competitive balance, but the regulator stated: "I completely endorse the prosperity and expansion as an financial organization of the elite league.
"Being fully aware of the apprehension regarding damaging the Premier League as a premium product of the nation. But simultaneously, if you engage with division representatives after this week's discussion, they would have had a significant degree of comfort -and, in fact, they have been informing us confidentially they have a high level of reassurance."
Political Connections
The regulator remains subject to a "full inquiry" by the official appointments authority after he revealed he contributed money to the Labour Party in the past.
The 68-year-old provided financial support for government minister Lisa Nandy's leadership campaign, along with that of the now Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
"I have fully disclosed my previous political affiliation [with Labour], and that party membership ceased the day the official body endorsed my nomination," the regulator explained.
"I am no longer involved in any sort of politics."
