'Our role is integral to football's future' - newly appointed regulator the new chairman
The team's current difficulties represent a a "serious issue" and the new football authority is looking to gain the ability to investigate clubs in comparable cases, the recently named head the regulator has stated.
In a wide-ranging interview, the regulator, who was recently selected, showed understanding towards the club's followers.
The regulator engaged with four fan organizations connected to the football team recently.
The team have been struggling on and off the field in 2025, with the club missing wage payments on five separate occasions, including in the autumn.
"Clearly Sheffield Wednesday has been a serious issue for football authorities and a substantial concern for English football," Kogan told.
"The club represents one of the historic institutions for football in England and recently we have met fan representatives.
"We're now looking to get powers... which will allow us to have Wednesday and comparable cases brought to our attention if they warrant scrutiny and addressed."
Monetary Issues and Proprietorship Status
Wednesday's embattled owner the Thai businessman suggested earlier this year he would be prepared to relinquish control at the stadium, but he has failed to complete a sale with potential new owners.
Missed wage deadlines on time in March and May led to sanctions by the football authorities in June, 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.
Authority's Position
Kogan said: "Our role exists to serve the Owls followers, teams facing challenges where supporters are loyal to a local institution that has existed throughout their lifetimes in many cases.
"I fully appreciate Sheffield Wednesday, as I do for all the clubs that over recent decades have faced collapse, or been close to going to the wall, for factors unrelated to the supporters."
Questioned about whether the oversight body could require an proprietor to divest a club if they are judged inappropriate, the chairman responded: "When asking whether 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the answer is once we collect the information and comprehend the circumstances, we will."
But the regulator clarified that compelling proprietors to divest clubs would be treated as a "last resort" and the authority would rather to cooperate with proprietors.
"The last thing what we want to do is start getting involved with an specific team, an specific proprietor, without having the opportunity to collaborate with that proprietor to address the problems affecting the organization and the chairman's encountering," Kogan said.
"However, realistically, when you review the record of football, over the last 20 or 30 years there have been certain proprietors, a small minority, but some who have been irresponsible in the approach they have taken toward their organizations and finally refuse to accept accountability for the coming years."
Owls fans have been voicing opposition to the current proprietor in recent months
'Mistakes could erase significant advances'
The chairman convened with representatives from 110 clubs to explain the responsibilities of the oversight body this week and maintained it represented a "proactive meeting" with a "high level of engagement" from the grassroots to elite level.
"The role holds considerable importance, because if we get it wrong, if the football community fails, the significant advances achieved necessary will vanish incredibly quickly," Kogan said.
"Such an outcome is universally undesirable in the terms of English football is a major achievement - we must maintain momentum.
"There's an enormous amount of money flowing into the game and has been invested for the last 20 or 25 years, because there's no guarantee it will continue to come into football, which is part of the rationale behind I think we have to maintain a focused outlook on risk and of course, of the immediate future."
Elite Division Worries
The Premier League opposed the establishment of an oversight body because of fears of a negative impact on the top-flight's competitiveness, but the chairman responded: "I'm absolutely committed to the success and growth as an commercial operation of the Premier League.
"Being fully aware of the worry about compromising the division as a high-quality offering of the nation. But simultaneously, if you consult with top flight officials after this week's discussion, they would have had a high level of reassurance -and, actually, they have been telling us in private they have a considerable comfort."
Ideological Links
The regulator remains subject to a "comprehensive investigation" by the official appointments authority after he disclosed making donations to the opposition group in 2020.
The 68-year-old donated money to government minister Lisa Nandy's leadership 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 ideological connection terminated the day the official body endorsed my nomination," the regulator explained.
"I currently have no participation in any sort of politics."
