'Our role is integral to football's future' - newly appointed regulator David Kogan
Sheffield Wednesday's current difficulties are seen as a "serious issue" and the football regulator is seeking powers to examine team situations in similar circumstances, the recently named head the official has announced.
During an extensive discussion, the regulator, who was named to the position this week, voiced concern towards the club's followers.
The chairman convened with four supporters' associations connected to the Championship side in recent days.
The Championship side have been experiencing difficulties in multiple areas in 2025, with the club missing wage payments on five separate occasions, including in the autumn.
"Obviously the club has become a major concern for the league and a major challenge for the sport," Kogan told.
"Sheffield Wednesday is one of the historic institutions for the English game and in recent days we have met fan representatives.
"We are seeking authority... which will allow us to have the club and similar situations referred to us if they warrant scrutiny and dealt with."
Economic Challenges and Proprietorship Status
The club's controversial proprietor the Thai businessman suggested earlier this year he would be open to selling the club at the stadium, but he has not been able to secure a deal with interested parties.
Failure to pay player wages on time in March and May resulted in restrictions being imposed by the football authorities in June, blocking the team from conducting any recruitment activities for the next three transfer windows, although the ban was rescinded in late summer.
Official's Viewpoint
The regulator explained: "Our role exists to serve the supporters of Wednesday, teams facing challenges where fans are dedicated to a local institution that has been part of their lives in numerous instances.
"I fully appreciate the team's plight, as I do for all the clubs that since 1992 have gone to the wall, or nearly ceased operations, for factors unrelated to the supporters."
Inquired if the authority might compel an owner to sell a club if they are deemed unsuitable, Kogan said: "When asking whether 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the answer is once we assemble the facts and understand the situation, we will."
But the chairman emphasized that forcing owners to sell clubs would be viewed as the ultimate measure and the authority would rather to cooperate with proprietors.
"The final option we would consider is start getting involved with an specific team, an individual owner, without being able to work with that chairman to fix the challenges confronting the team and the chairman's encountering," Kogan said.
"However, realistically, when you review the record of football, over the recent generations there have been particular chairmen, a small minority, but certain individuals who have acted carelessly in the way which they've been managing their teams and eventually don't wish to take responsibility for the future."
Owls fans have been protesting against the team's chairman in recent months
'If we get it wrong, extraordinary progress vanishes'
The chairman convened with officials from numerous teams to lay out the remit of the regulator on Wednesday and stated it constituted a "forward-thinking discussion" with a "substantial involvement" from the lower divisions to the top flight.
"It's a job that's actually really important, because if errors are made, if the sport makes errors, the significant advances achieved might evaporate incredibly quickly," Kogan said.
"And that's what nobody wants in the context of the English game is a substantial accomplishment - we've got to keep it going.
"Considerable investment entering the sport and has come into football for the recent generations, 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
Elite division representatives objected to the formation of an authority because of apprehensions regarding adverse consequences on the top-flight's competitiveness, but the regulator stated: "I completely endorse the achievement and development as an economic entity of the elite league.
"As someone who appreciates the worry about compromising the top flight as an elite competition of England. But at the same time, if you consult with top flight officials after this week's discussion, they would have had a significant degree of comfort -and, in fact, they have been telling us in private they have a significant confidence."
Partisan Associations
Kogan is still facing a "thorough examination" by the Commissioner for Public Appointments after he acknowledged providing funds to the political party in recent years.
The 68-year-old contributed funds to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy's leadership campaign, along with that of the government leader.
"I've been completely open about my former ideological connection [with Labour], and that ideological connection terminated the day the official body endorsed my nomination," Kogan said.
"I currently have no participation in any type of partisan engagement."
