'We will play a key role in football's future' - football oversight chief the new chairman
Sheffield Wednesday's persistent issues represent a a "significant problem" and the independent regulator is seeking powers to investigate clubs in such situations, its new chair the regulator has announced.
In a wide-ranging interview, the regulator, who was appointed on Monday, voiced concern towards the club's followers.
The chairman convened with four supporter groups connected to the football team this week.
The team have been struggling on and off the field in 2025, with the club failing to pay players on time on multiple instances, including in last month.
"Clearly Sheffield Wednesday has been a significant problem for EFL and a major challenge for the sport," Kogan told.
"The club represents one of the historic institutions for the English game and recently we have met supporters' organizations.
"Our aim is to acquire the ability... which will allow us to have Wednesday and comparable cases referred to us if they warrant scrutiny and acted upon."
Economic Challenges and Proprietorship Status
The club's controversial proprietor Dejphon Chansiri stated during the off-season he would be prepared to relinquish control at Hillsborough, but he has not been able to secure a deal with interested parties.
Failure to pay player wages on time in earlier this year resulted in restrictions being imposed by the English Football League (EFL) in mid-year, preventing the club from carrying out any transfers or loans for the next three transfer windows, although the ban was rescinded in August.
Regulator's Perspective
The chairman stated: "Our role exists to serve the Owls followers, teams facing challenges where fans are dedicated to a regional establishment that has been part of their lives in many cases.
"I have absolute sympathy for Sheffield Wednesday, as I do for all the clubs that since 1992 have gone to the wall, or approached financial ruin, for reasons that have nothing to do with the fans themselves."
Inquired if the authority might compel an owner to sell a club if they are judged inappropriate, the chairman responded: "If your question is 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the response would be once we collect the information and understand the situation, we will."
But the chairman emphasized that forcing owners to sell clubs would be considered the final option and the authority would rather to cooperate with proprietors.
"The final option we would consider is commence engagement with an particular organization, an individual owner, without being in a position to cooperate with that chairman to fix the challenges confronting the team and the owner's facing," Kogan said.
"But the truth is, when you look back over the history of the game, over the past few decades there have been certain proprietors, not many, but some who have been irresponsible in the manner they have operated their organizations and finally decline to assume obligation for the coming years."
Wednesday followers have been protesting against the team's chairman this season
'Errors may undo substantial development'
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.
"This position carries substantial significance, because if errors are made, if the football community fails, the remarkable development accomplished necessary will vanish rapidly," Kogan said.
"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 coming into football and has been invested for the recent generations, because there are no assurances it will persist in entering the game, which is among the factors explaining I think we have to take a really clear view on potential dangers and naturally, of the next two or three years."
Premier League Concerns
Top flight officials resisted the creation of a regulator because of concerns about detrimental effects on the Premier League's sporting equality, but the chairman responded: "I'm absolutely committed to the prosperity and expansion as an financial organization of the Premier League.
"I of all people understand the worry about compromising the Premier League as a premium product of England. But concurrently, if you talk to the Premier League after this week's discussion, they would have had a significant degree of comfort -and, indeed, they have been telling us in private they have a significant confidence."
Partisan Associations
The regulator remains subject to a "comprehensive investigation" by the official appointments authority after he disclosed making donations to the political party in recent years.
The chairman contributed funds to Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport the minister's leadership bid, along with that of the government leader.
"I have fully disclosed my previous political affiliation [with Labour], and that ideological connection terminated the day the select committee approved my appointment," Kogan said.
"I currently have no participation in any type of partisan engagement."
