'We are going to be a part of football's future' - independent football regulator the new chairman
Sheffield Wednesday's ongoing struggles constitute a "major concern" and the football regulator is seeking powers to examine team situations in comparable cases, its new chair David Kogan has declared.
Through a comprehensive talk, Kogan, who was recently selected, expressed "sympathy" towards Wednesday's fanbase.
The chairman convened with four fan organizations representing the South Yorkshire club in recent days.
The team have been struggling on and off the field in 2025, with the club delaying salary disbursements on five separate occasions, including in last month.
"Obviously the club has become a major concern for the league and a major challenge for the sport," Kogan told.
"The club represents one of the historic institutions for football in England and recently we have met fan representatives.
"We are seeking authority... which will allow us to have Sheffield Wednesday - and other clubs referred to us if they need to be investigated and dealt with."
Monetary Issues and Leadership Concerns
The club's controversial proprietor the Thai businessman stated during the off-season he would be open to selling the club at Hillsborough, but he has been unable to finalize an agreement with interested parties.
Failure to pay player wages on time in March and May caused limitations by the league officials in summer, blocking the team from conducting any player acquisitions for the subsequent signing windows, although the ban was rescinded in the end of the transfer window.
Official's Viewpoint
The chairman stated: "The position was created for the Owls followers, teams facing challenges where fans are dedicated to a local institution that has been part of their lives in numerous instances.
"I have absolute sympathy for Sheffield Wednesday, as I do for every team that since 1992 have gone to the wall, or nearly ceased operations, for reasons that have nothing to do with the supporters."
Questioned about whether the regulator could force an chairman to relinquish a club if they are judged inappropriate, the regulator answered: "Should the inquiry concern 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the reply is once we assemble the facts and comprehend the circumstances, we will."
But Kogan stressed that requiring chairmen to relinquish clubs would be treated as a "last resort" 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 problems affecting the organization and the proprietor's dealing with," Kogan said.
"But the truth is, when you look back over the history of football, over the past few decades there have been certain proprietors, few in number, but particular people who have shown negligence in the approach they have taken toward their clubs and ultimately decline to assume obligation for the future."
Owls fans have been demonstrating against the team's chairman this season
'Mistakes could erase significant advances'
Kogan met with officials from numerous teams to lay out the remit of the oversight body this week and insisted it was a "proactive meeting" with a "high level of engagement" from the lower divisions to the top flight.
"It's a job that's actually really important, because should mistakes occur, if the football community fails, the significant advances achieved necessary will vanish incredibly quickly," the regulator warned.
"And that's what nobody wants in the terms of English football is a major achievement - we've got to keep it going.
"Substantial financial resources coming into football and has come into football for the last 20 or 25 years, because there's no guarantee 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 challenges and obviously, of the immediate future."
Elite Division Worries
The Premier League opposed the establishment of an oversight body because of apprehensions regarding adverse consequences on the top-flight's competitiveness, but the regulator stated: "I completely endorse the success and growth as an financial organization of the top division.
"I of all people understand the worry about compromising the division as a high-quality offering of the nation. But at the same time, if you consult with top flight officials after today's meeting, they would have had a high level of reassurance -and, in fact, they have been informing us confidentially they have a significant confidence."
Partisan Associations
Kogan is still facing a "full inquiry" by the Commissioner for Public Appointments after he revealed he contributed money to the Labour Party in recent years.
The 68-year-old provided financial support for government minister the minister's leadership bid, along with that of the now Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
"I have fully disclosed my previous political affiliation [with Labour], and that party membership ceased the day the official body endorsed my nomination," the chairman stated.
"I am no longer involved in any sort of politics."
