'We are going to be a part of football's future' - newly appointed regulator the new chairman
Sheffield Wednesday's persistent issues represent a a "significant problem" and the new football authority is looking to gain the ability to investigate clubs in such situations, the newly appointed chairman David Kogan has declared.
In a wide-ranging interview, Kogan, who was named to the position this week, showed understanding towards the club's followers.
Kogan met with four supporter groups representing the Championship side recently.
The team have been experiencing difficulties in multiple areas in 2025, with the club delaying salary disbursements on multiple instances, including in the autumn.
"Clearly Sheffield Wednesday has been a major concern for the league and a substantial concern for English football," the regulator explained.
"Sheffield Wednesday is one of the iconic names for English football and this week we have met fan representatives.
"We're now looking to get powers... which will enable us to take the club and similar situations brought to our attention if they require examination and dealt with."
Economic Challenges and Ownership Situation
The team's struggling chairman the current owner indicated in the summer he would be prepared to relinquish control at the stadium, but he has been unable to finalize an agreement with interested parties.
Failure to pay player wages on time in spring months caused limitations by the English Football League (EFL) in June, preventing the club from carrying out any transfers or loans for the next three transfer windows, although those limitations were removed in August.
Authority's Position
The regulator explained: "The position was created for the Owls followers, Bury or any football club where fans are dedicated to a local institution that has been part of their lives in numerous instances.
"I fully appreciate Sheffield Wednesday, as I do for all the clubs that over recent decades have faced collapse, or been close to going to the wall, for reasons that have nothing to do with the supporters."
Questioned about whether the oversight body could require 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 reply is once we assemble the facts and comprehend the circumstances, we will."
But the chairman emphasized that forcing owners to sell clubs would be viewed as the ultimate measure and the regulator would prefer to work with them.
"The last thing what we want to do is start getting involved with an individual club, an specific proprietor, without being able to work with that proprietor to address the issues that the club's facing and the owner's facing," Kogan said.
"In actuality, when you look back over the history of football, over the recent generations there have been certain proprietors, not many, but some who have been irresponsible in the manner they have operated their organizations and finally don't wish to take responsibility for the coming years."
Wednesday followers have been demonstrating against the team's chairman during the current campaign
'If we get it wrong, extraordinary progress vanishes'
Kogan met with representatives from 110 clubs to lay out the remit of the regulator on Wednesday and stated it constituted a "forward-thinking discussion" with a "significant participation" from the lower divisions to the top flight.
"This position carries substantial significance, because if errors are made, if the sport makes errors, the remarkable development accomplished might evaporate rapidly," the regulator warned.
"Such an outcome is universally undesirable in the realm of domestic football is a substantial accomplishment - we need to continue the progress.
"There's an enormous amount of money flowing into the game and has come into football for the last 20 or 25 years, because there are no assurances 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 next two or three years."
Elite Division Worries
Top flight officials resisted the establishment of an oversight body because of concerns about detrimental effects on the top-flight's competitiveness, but Kogan said: "I'm absolutely committed to the achievement and development as an commercial operation of the elite league.
"As someone who appreciates the worry about compromising the Premier League as a premium product of this country. But simultaneously, if you talk to the Premier League after today's meeting, they would have had a significant degree of comfort -and, indeed, they have been advising us privately they have a considerable comfort."
Political Connections
Kogan is still facing a "full inquiry" by the official appointments authority after he revealed he contributed money to the Labour Party in recent years.
The official donated money to government minister the politician's campaign, 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 chairman stated.
"I am presently disconnected from any sort of politics."
