'We will play a key role in football's future' - football oversight chief David Kogan
Sheffield Wednesday's persistent issues are seen as a "serious issue" and the independent regulator is seeking powers to investigate clubs in comparable cases, the recently named head the official has announced.
Through a comprehensive talk, the regulator, who was named to the position this week, showed understanding towards Wednesday's fanbase.
Kogan met with four supporters' associations representing the football team in recent days.
The team have been facing challenges both on and off the pitch in 2025, with the club missing wage payments on five separate occasions, including in September.
"Clearly Sheffield Wednesday has been a major concern for the league and a significant problem for football," the chairman stated.
"Sheffield Wednesday is one of the great brands for the English game and recently we have met fan representatives.
"We're now looking to get powers... which will enable us to take Wednesday and comparable cases brought to our attention if they warrant scrutiny and acted upon."
Financial Struggles and Ownership Situation
Wednesday's embattled owner the Thai businessman suggested earlier this year he would be willing to sell up at Hillsborough, but he has failed to complete a sale with potential new owners.
Missed wage deadlines on time in earlier this year caused limitations by the league officials in June, preventing the club from carrying out any transfers or loans for the following recruitment periods, although those limitations were removed in the end of the transfer window.
Regulator's Perspective
The regulator explained: "Our role exists to serve the fans of Sheffield Wednesday, teams facing challenges where supporters are loyal to a community organization that has been part of their lives in multiple situations.
"I have absolute sympathy for 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 followers."
Questioned about whether the oversight body could require an owner to sell a club if they are judged inappropriate, the regulator answered: "When asking whether 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the reply is once we collect the information and understand the situation, we will."
But the chairman emphasized that compelling proprietors to divest clubs would be considered the final option and the oversight body would choose to cooperate with proprietors.
"The final option we would consider is commence engagement with an particular organization, an specific proprietor, without being in a position to cooperate with that chairman to fix the issues that the club's facing and the proprietor's dealing with," Kogan said.
"However, realistically, when you look back over the history of the sport, over the recent generations there have been some owners, few in number, but some who have been irresponsible in the way which they've been managing their organizations and finally refuse to accept accountability for the future."
Wednesday followers have been voicing opposition to owner Dejphon Chansiri during the current campaign
'If we get it wrong, extraordinary progress vanishes'
The regulator engaged representatives from 110 clubs to explain the responsibilities of the oversight body this week and maintained it represented a "forward-thinking discussion" with a "significant participation" from the lower divisions to the top flight.
"It's a job that's actually really important, 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.
"And that's what nobody wants in the terms of English football is a huge success story - we need to continue the progress.
"There's an enormous amount of money coming into football and has been channeled for the recent generations, because certainty is lacking it will keep flowing into the sport, which is part of the rationale behind I think we have to maintain a focused outlook on potential dangers and naturally, of the immediate future."
Elite Division Worries
Elite division representatives objected to the establishment of an oversight body because of concerns about detrimental effects on the elite division's competitive balance, but Kogan said: "I completely endorse the success and growth as an financial organization of the top division.
"As someone who appreciates the concern of undermining the division as a high-quality offering 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 advising us privately they have a considerable comfort."
Political Connections
Kogan is still facing a "thorough examination" by the public appointments commissioner after he revealed he contributed money to the Labour Party in 2020.
The chairman 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 previous political affiliation [with Labour], and that political affiliation came to an end the day the official body endorsed my nomination," the chairman stated.
"I am no longer involved in any form of political activity."
