'Our role is integral to football's future' - independent football regulator the regulator's chair
Sheffield Wednesday's current difficulties are seen as a "major concern" and the new football authority is looking to gain the ability to investigate clubs in similar circumstances, the recently named head the regulator has stated.
In a wide-ranging interview, the regulator, who was appointed on Monday, voiced concern towards the club's followers.
Kogan met with four fan organizations representing the South Yorkshire club recently.
The football club have been facing challenges both on and off the pitch in 2025, with the club failing to pay players on time on five separate occasions, including in September.
"Clearly Sheffield Wednesday has been a serious issue for football authorities and a significant problem for football," the chairman stated.
"The club represents one of the great brands for football in England and this week we have met Sheffield Wednesday supporters' groups.
"We're now looking to get powers... which will enable us to take Wednesday and comparable cases brought to our attention if they require examination and acted upon."
Economic Challenges and Leadership Concerns
Wednesday's embattled owner Dejphon Chansiri stated during the off-season he would be willing to sell up at their home ground, but he has not been able to secure a deal with prospective buyers.
Delayed salary payments on time in spring months resulted in restrictions being imposed by the English Football League (EFL) in summer, blocking the team from conducting any recruitment activities for the following recruitment periods, although the ban was rescinded in August.
Authority's Position
The regulator explained: "The position was created for the fans of Sheffield Wednesday, teams facing challenges where fans are dedicated to a community organization that has represented their community in numerous instances.
"I fully appreciate the team's plight, as I do for all the clubs that over recent decades have faced collapse, or nearly ceased operations, for factors unrelated to the followers."
Inquired if the authority might compel an proprietor to divest a club if they are deemed unsuitable, the regulator answered: "Should the inquiry concern 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the response would be once we collect the information and comprehend the circumstances, we will."
But Kogan stressed that compelling proprietors to divest clubs would be viewed as the ultimate measure and the regulator would prefer to cooperate with proprietors.
"Our least desirable course of action is commence engagement with an particular organization, an particular chairman, without having the opportunity to collaborate with that owner to try and resolve the issues that the club's facing and the owner's facing," the regulator explained.
"However, realistically, when you examine the past of the game, over the last 20 or 30 years there have been certain proprietors, few in number, but particular people who have shown negligence in the manner they have operated their organizations and finally don't wish to take responsibility for the future."
Wednesday followers have been protesting against owner Dejphon Chansiri in recent months
'Mistakes could erase significant advances'
The regulator engaged representatives from 110 clubs to lay out the remit of the oversight body this week and stated it constituted a "forward-thinking discussion" with a "substantial involvement" from the grassroots to elite level.
"It's a job that's actually really important, because should mistakes occur, if the sport makes errors, the significant advances achieved might evaporate incredibly quickly," Kogan said.
"Such an outcome is universally undesirable in the terms of English football is a huge success story - we need to continue the progress.
"There's an enormous amount of money flowing into the game and has been channeled for the recent generations, because there's no guarantee it will continue to come into football, which is one of the reasons why I think we have to adopt a precise perspective on challenges and obviously, of the immediate future."
Elite Division Worries
Elite division representatives objected to the creation of a regulator because of concerns about detrimental effects on the elite division's competitive balance, but the chairman responded: "I completely endorse the achievement and development as an financial organization of the top division.
"I of all people understand the worry about compromising the top flight as an elite competition of England. But at the same time, if you engage with division representatives after the recent gathering, they would have had a significant degree of comfort -and, indeed, they have been informing us confidentially they have a significant confidence."
Ideological Links
The regulator remains subject to a "full inquiry" by the public appointments commissioner after he disclosed making donations to the Labour Party in 2020.
The official contributed funds to government minister the minister's leadership bid, along with that of the government leader.
"I have fully disclosed my former ideological connection [with Labour], and that party membership ceased the day the parliamentary committee confirmed my selection," Kogan said.
"I currently have no participation in any type of partisan engagement."
