'Our role is integral to football's future' - independent football regulator the new chairman
The Championship club's persistent issues are seen as a "significant problem" and the football regulator is looking to gain the ability to examine team situations in comparable cases, its new chair the regulator has declared.
In a wide-ranging interview, the chairman, who was named to the position this week, showed understanding towards the club's followers.
Kogan met with four supporter groups associated with the football team in recent days.
The team have been experiencing difficulties in multiple areas in 2025, with the club failing to pay players on time on five separate occasions, including in the autumn.
"Evidently Wednesday represents a major concern for the league and a significant problem for football," the chairman stated.
"Sheffield Wednesday is one of the iconic names for football in England and in recent days we have met fan representatives.
"We are seeking authority... which will enable us to take the club and similar situations brought to our attention if they require examination and acted upon."
Monetary Issues and Ownership Situation
The team's struggling chairman Dejphon Chansiri suggested earlier this year he would be willing to sell up at their home ground, but he has not been able to secure a deal with interested parties.
Missed wage deadlines on time in earlier this year resulted in restrictions being imposed by the English Football League (EFL) in mid-year, stopping Wednesday from completing any recruitment activities for the following recruitment periods, although those limitations were removed in August.
Authority's Position
The chairman stated: "The position was created for the supporters of Wednesday, other clubs in similar situations where supporters are loyal to a regional establishment that has existed throughout their lifetimes in many cases.
"I completely understand Sheffield Wednesday, as I do for each organization that over recent decades have faced collapse, or been close to going to the wall, for causes separate from the fans themselves."
Questioned about whether the oversight body could require an chairman to relinquish a club if they are deemed unsuitable, Kogan said: "Should the inquiry concern 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the response would be once we assemble the facts and understand the situation, we will."
But the chairman emphasized that forcing owners to sell clubs would be treated as a "last resort" and the authority would rather to work with them.
"The final option we would consider is start getting involved with an individual club, an particular chairman, without being in a position to cooperate with that proprietor to address the issues that the club's facing and the owner's facing," Kogan said.
"In actuality, when you review the record of the game, over the recent generations there have been some owners, few in number, but particular people who have shown negligence in the approach they have taken toward their organizations and finally refuse to accept accountability for the coming years."
Wednesday followers have been demonstrating against the current proprietor this season
'Mistakes could erase significant advances'
The chairman convened with representatives from 110 clubs to detail the scope of the regulator on Wednesday and insisted it was a "forward-thinking discussion" with a "substantial involvement" from the lower divisions to the top flight.
"This position carries substantial significance, because if we get it wrong, if the world of football gets it wrong, the extraordinary progress that's been made might evaporate swiftly," the chairman stated.
"This represents everyone's worst fear in the realm of domestic football is a substantial accomplishment - we need to continue the progress.
"Substantial financial resources flowing into the game and has been channeled for the recent generations, 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 challenges and obviously, of the next two or three years."
Top Flight Apprehensions
Elite division representatives objected to the formation of an authority because of apprehensions regarding adverse consequences on the Premier League's sporting equality, but Kogan said: "I'm absolutely committed to the achievement and development as an commercial operation of the top division.
"I of all people understand the worry about compromising the Premier League as a premium product of this country. But concurrently, if you consult with top flight officials after this week's discussion, they would have had a high level of reassurance -and, in fact, they have been advising us privately 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 political party in recent years.
The chairman donated money to Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport the minister's leadership bid, along with that of the now Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
"I have fully disclosed my past party membership [with Labour], and that party membership ceased the day the official body endorsed my nomination," the chairman stated.
"I am presently disconnected from any form of political activity."
