'We are going to be a part of football's future' - independent football regulator David Kogan
Sheffield Wednesday's persistent issues are seen as a "significant problem" and the new football authority is seeking powers to examine team situations in comparable cases, the recently named head the official has announced.
In a wide-ranging interview, the regulator, who was recently selected, voiced concern towards the club's followers.
The regulator engaged with four supporter groups representing the Championship side recently.
The Championship side have been struggling on and off the field in 2025, with the club failing to pay players on time on several different times, including in September.
"Evidently Wednesday represents a serious issue for football authorities and a major challenge for the sport," Kogan told.
"Sheffield Wednesday is one of the iconic names for football in England and recently we have met supporters' organizations.
"We're now looking to get powers... which will allow us to have Wednesday and comparable cases referred to us if they warrant scrutiny and addressed."
Economic Challenges and Leadership Concerns
The team's struggling chairman Dejphon Chansiri stated during the off-season he would be willing to sell up at Hillsborough, but he has been unable to finalize an agreement with interested parties.
Missed wage deadlines on time in March and May resulted in restrictions being imposed by the league officials in June, stopping Wednesday from completing any player acquisitions for the subsequent signing windows, although that restriction was lifted in late summer.
Authority's Position
Kogan said: "The job [of the regulator] is there for the supporters of Wednesday, Bury or any football club where supporters are loyal to a local institution that has been part of their lives in many cases.
"I completely understand the team's plight, as I do for each organization that since 1992 have gone to the wall, or nearly ceased operations, for causes separate from the followers."
Inquired if the authority might compel an owner to sell a club if they are considered unfit, Kogan said: "If your question is 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the response would be once we gather the evidence and comprehend the circumstances, we will."
But the regulator clarified that forcing owners to sell clubs would be treated as a "last resort" and the authority would rather to work with them.
"The last thing what we want to do is begin intervening in an specific team, an specific proprietor, without being able to work with that chairman to fix the challenges confronting the team and the proprietor's dealing with," Kogan said.
"In actuality, when you examine the past of football, over the recent generations there have been particular chairmen, not many, but some who have been irresponsible in the way which they've been managing their organizations and finally don't wish to take responsibility for the coming years."
Wednesday followers have been protesting against the team's chairman during the current campaign
'If we get it wrong, extraordinary progress vanishes'
Kogan met with representatives from 110 clubs to detail the scope of the oversight body this week and stated it constituted a "proactive meeting" with a "significant participation" from the lower divisions to the top flight.
"This position carries substantial significance, because should mistakes occur, if the football community fails, the remarkable development accomplished necessary will vanish swiftly," Kogan said.
"Such an outcome is universally undesirable in the realm of domestic football is a substantial accomplishment - we've got to keep it going.
"There's an enormous amount of money entering the sport and has been channeled for the last 20 or 25 years, 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 risk and of course, of the coming seasons."
Top Flight Apprehensions
Elite division representatives objected to the establishment of an oversight body because of fears of a negative impact on the elite division's competitive balance, but the chairman responded: "I completely endorse the prosperity and expansion as an commercial operation of the elite league.
"I of all people understand the apprehension regarding damaging the Premier League as a premium product of the nation. But concurrently, if you consult with top flight officials after today's meeting, they would have had a significant degree of comfort -and, indeed, they have been informing us confidentially they have a high level of reassurance."
Partisan Associations
The regulator remains subject to a "comprehensive investigation" by the official appointments authority after he disclosed making donations to the opposition group in the past.
The chairman provided financial support for Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy's leadership campaign, along with that of the current Prime Minister.
"I have fully disclosed my former ideological connection [with Labour], and that party membership ceased the day the official body endorsed my nomination," Kogan said.
"I am presently disconnected from any type of partisan engagement."
