'Our role is integral to football's future' - newly appointed regulator David Kogan
Sheffield Wednesday's current difficulties represent a a "major concern" and the independent regulator is aiming to acquire authority to look into club affairs in such situations, the newly appointed chairman David Kogan has stated.
In a wide-ranging interview, the chairman, who was named to the position this week, expressed "sympathy" towards the club's followers.
The regulator engaged with four supporter groups representing the football team this week.
The football club have been experiencing difficulties in multiple areas in 2025, with the club delaying salary disbursements on multiple instances, including in September.
"Clearly Sheffield Wednesday has been a serious issue for football authorities and a substantial concern for English football," the regulator explained.
"The club represents one of the iconic names for English football and recently we have met supporters' organizations.
"Our aim is to acquire the ability... which will enable us to take Sheffield Wednesday - and other clubs brought to our attention if they require examination and addressed."
Financial Struggles and Proprietorship Status
The team's struggling chairman Dejphon Chansiri suggested earlier this year he would be willing to sell up at Hillsborough, but he has been unable to finalize an agreement with potential new owners.
Failure to pay player wages on time in spring months led to sanctions by the football authorities in June, preventing the club from carrying out any transfers or loans for the following recruitment periods, although that restriction was lifted in the end of the transfer window.
Official's Viewpoint
The regulator explained: "Our role exists to serve the Owls followers, teams facing challenges where fans are dedicated to a community organization that has been part of their lives in many cases.
"I have absolute sympathy for the club's situation, as I do for each organization that since 1992 have gone to the wall, or approached financial ruin, for causes separate from the followers."
Questioned about whether the oversight body could require an owner to sell a club if they are deemed unsuitable, the regulator answered: "If your question is 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the answer is once we collect the information and know what's going on, we will."
But Kogan stressed that compelling proprietors to divest clubs would be treated as a "last resort" and the regulator would prefer to collaborate with owners.
"Our least desirable course of action is begin intervening in an particular organization, an individual owner, without being in a position to cooperate with that proprietor to address the problems affecting the organization and the proprietor's dealing with," the regulator explained.
"But the truth is, when you review the record of the sport, over the recent generations there have been particular chairmen, few in number, but certain individuals who have acted carelessly in the approach they have taken toward their teams and eventually don't wish to take responsibility for the future."
Wednesday followers have been demonstrating against the team's chairman in recent months
'If we get it wrong, extraordinary progress vanishes'
The chairman convened with representatives from 110 clubs to lay out the remit of the oversight body this week and maintained it represented a "proactive meeting" with a "substantial involvement" from the lower divisions to the top flight.
"This position carries substantial significance, because should mistakes occur, if the world of football gets it wrong, the remarkable development accomplished necessary will vanish incredibly quickly," the chairman stated.
"Such an outcome is universally undesirable in the terms of English football is a huge success story - we must maintain momentum.
"Considerable investment flowing into the game and has been invested for the last 20 or 25 years, because there are no assurances it will persist in entering the game, which is one of the reasons why I think we have to maintain a focused outlook on challenges and obviously, of the next two or three years."
Elite Division Worries
Top flight officials resisted the formation of an authority because of apprehensions regarding adverse consequences on the Premier League's sporting equality, but the regulator stated: "I completely endorse the prosperity and expansion as an economic entity of the top division.
"Being fully aware of the concern of undermining the top flight as an elite competition of England. But concurrently, if you talk to the Premier League 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 significant confidence."
Political Connections
Kogan is still facing a "thorough examination" by the official appointments authority after he acknowledged providing funds to the opposition group in 2020.
The chairman provided financial support for Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Lisa Nandy's leadership campaign, along with that of the now Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
"I have fully disclosed my former ideological connection [with Labour], and that party membership ceased the day the select committee approved my appointment," Kogan said.
"I am presently disconnected from any type of partisan engagement."
