'Our role is integral to football's future' - newly appointed regulator the new chairman
The team's current difficulties constitute a "significant problem" and the new football authority is aiming to acquire authority to examine team situations in similar circumstances, its new chair the regulator has declared.
In a wide-ranging interview, Kogan, who was named to the position this week, expressed "sympathy" towards supporters of the Owls.
Kogan met with four fan organizations associated with the South Yorkshire club recently.
The team have been struggling on and off the field in 2025, with the club missing wage payments on five separate occasions, including in September.
"Clearly Sheffield Wednesday has been a major concern for the league and a major challenge for the sport," the regulator explained.
"The club represents one of the great brands for football in England and recently we have met Sheffield Wednesday supporters' groups.
"We're now looking to get powers... which will permit us to bring the club and similar situations referred to us if they need to be investigated and addressed."
Economic Challenges and Proprietorship Status
Wednesday's embattled owner the current owner suggested earlier this year he would be prepared to relinquish control at their home ground, but he has been unable to finalize an agreement with interested parties.
Missed wage deadlines on time in spring months resulted in restrictions being imposed by the English Football League (EFL) in June, stopping Wednesday from completing any player acquisitions for the subsequent signing windows, although those limitations were removed in late summer.
Regulator's Perspective
The regulator explained: "Our role exists to serve the supporters of Wednesday, teams facing challenges where supporters are loyal to a local institution that has represented their community in many cases.
"I fully appreciate the club's situation, as I do for each organization that over recent decades have faced collapse, or approached financial ruin, for reasons that have nothing to do with the followers."
Questioned about whether the regulator could force an chairman to relinquish a club if they are judged inappropriate, Kogan said: "When asking whether 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the response would be once we collect the information and understand the situation, we will."
But the chairman emphasized that compelling proprietors to divest clubs would be considered the final option and the authority would rather to work with them.
"The last thing what we want to do is begin intervening in an specific team, an specific proprietor, without being in a position to cooperate with that owner to try and resolve the issues that the club's facing and the proprietor's dealing with," the chairman stated.
"However, realistically, when you review the record of football, over the past few decades there have been particular chairmen, a small minority, but particular people who have shown negligence in the manner they have operated their teams and eventually don't wish to take responsibility for the future."
Owls fans have been voicing opposition to owner Dejphon Chansiri this season
'Mistakes could erase significant advances'
Kogan met with representatives from 110 clubs to explain the responsibilities of the regulator on Wednesday and stated it constituted a "forward-thinking discussion" with a "high level of engagement" from the National League to the Premier League.
"This position carries substantial significance, because should mistakes occur, if the sport makes errors, the significant advances achieved might evaporate swiftly," Kogan said.
"This represents everyone's worst fear in the realm of domestic football is a major achievement - we need to continue the progress.
"There's an enormous amount of money entering the sport and has come into football for the past two decades, because certainty is lacking it will continue to come into football, which is part of the rationale behind I think we have to maintain a focused outlook on risk and of course, of the next two or three years."
Elite Division Worries
Elite division representatives objected to the formation of an authority because of concerns about detrimental effects on the elite division's competitive balance, but the regulator stated: "I'm absolutely committed to the achievement and development as an commercial operation of the elite league.
"As someone who appreciates the concern of undermining the top flight as an elite competition of England. But simultaneously, if you consult with top flight officials after the recent gathering, they would have had a high level of reassurance -and, indeed, they have been advising us privately they have a considerable comfort."
Partisan Associations
The regulator remains subject to a "comprehensive investigation" by the official appointments authority after he disclosed making donations to the Labour Party in 2020.
The chairman contributed funds to Culture Secretary the minister's leadership bid, along with that of the now Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
"I have been entirely transparent regarding my past party membership [with Labour], and that ideological connection terminated the day the parliamentary committee confirmed my selection," the regulator explained.
"I am no longer involved in any type of partisan engagement."
