'Our role is integral to football's future' - independent football regulator David Kogan
Sheffield Wednesday's persistent issues represent a a "major concern" and the new football authority is looking to gain the ability to examine team situations in such situations, the recently named head the official has declared.
In a wide-ranging interview, Kogan, who was named to the position this week, expressed "sympathy" towards Wednesday's fanbase.
Kogan met with four supporters' associations representing the Championship side in recent days.
The team have been facing challenges both on and off the pitch in 2025, with the club failing to pay players on time on several different times, including in last month.
"Clearly Sheffield Wednesday has been a serious issue for football authorities and a substantial concern for English football," Kogan told.
"Wednesday stands as one of the great brands for football in England and in recent days we have met supporters' organizations.
"We're now looking to get powers... which will permit us to bring Wednesday and comparable cases brought to our attention if they warrant scrutiny and dealt with."
Financial Struggles and Ownership Situation
The team's struggling chairman the Thai businessman indicated in the summer he would be open to selling the club at the stadium, but he has failed to complete a sale with potential new owners.
Delayed salary payments on time in earlier this year led to sanctions by the football authorities in summer, preventing the club from carrying out any transfers or loans for the next three transfer windows, although that restriction was lifted in the end of the transfer window.
Official's Viewpoint
The regulator explained: "The job [of the regulator] is there for the fans of Sheffield Wednesday, Bury or any football club where fans are dedicated to a local institution that has represented their community in multiple situations.
"I have absolute sympathy for the team's plight, as I do for every team that over recent decades have faced collapse, or approached financial ruin, for causes separate from the followers."
When asked if the authority might compel an proprietor to divest a club if they are judged inappropriate, Kogan said: "If your question is 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the answer is once we collect the information and understand the situation, we will."
But Kogan stressed that requiring chairmen to relinquish clubs would be considered the final option and the authority would rather to collaborate with owners.
"The final option we would consider is begin intervening in an particular organization, an specific proprietor, without being in a position to cooperate with that proprietor to address the challenges confronting the team and the chairman's encountering," the chairman stated.
"In actuality, when you review the record of the game, over the last 20 or 30 years there have been some owners, not many, but some who have been irresponsible in the approach they have taken toward their teams and eventually refuse to accept accountability for the future."
Sheffield Wednesday supporters have been protesting against owner Dejphon Chansiri this season
'Errors may undo substantial development'
The regulator engaged representatives from 110 clubs to detail the scope of the authority recently and stated it constituted a "forward-thinking discussion" with a "significant participation" from the National League to the Premier League.
"The role holds considerable importance, because should mistakes occur, if the sport makes errors, the remarkable development accomplished could disappear swiftly," Kogan said.
"This represents everyone's worst fear in the context of the English game is a major achievement - we've got to keep it going.
"There's an enormous amount of money entering the sport and has been invested for the past two decades, because certainty is lacking it will keep flowing into the sport, which is among the factors explaining I think we have to take a really clear view on potential dangers and naturally, of the coming seasons."
Premier League Concerns
The Premier League opposed the establishment of an oversight body because of fears of a negative impact on the top-flight's competitiveness, but Kogan said: "I fully support the achievement and development as an commercial operation of the top division.
"Being fully aware of the concern of undermining the top flight as an elite competition of this country. But at the same time, if you engage with division representatives after today's meeting, they would have had a substantial amount of confidence -and, indeed, they have been advising us privately they have a considerable comfort."
Partisan Associations
The regulator remains subject to a "comprehensive investigation" by the official appointments authority after he acknowledged providing funds to the political party in recent years.
The 68-year-old donated money to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy's leadership campaign, along with that of the now Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
"I have been entirely transparent regarding my past party membership [with Labour], and that party membership ceased the day the select committee approved my appointment," the chairman stated.
"I currently have no participation in any form of political activity."
