'Our role is integral to football's future' - newly appointed regulator the regulator's chair
The Championship club's current difficulties are seen as a "serious issue" and the new football authority is looking to gain the ability to investigate clubs in similar circumstances, the recently named head the regulator has declared.
In a wide-ranging interview, Kogan, who was named to the position this week, expressed "sympathy" towards the club's followers.
The chairman convened with four supporter groups representing the South Yorkshire club this week.
The Championship side have been facing challenges both on and off the pitch in 2025, with the club delaying salary disbursements on five separate occasions, including in September.
"Clearly Sheffield Wednesday has been a major concern for the league and a significant problem for football," the regulator explained.
"The club represents one of the great brands for the English game and in recent days we have met fan representatives.
"Our aim is to acquire the ability... which will permit us to bring Wednesday and comparable cases referred to us if they need to be investigated and addressed."
Monetary Issues and Proprietorship Status
The club's controversial proprietor Dejphon Chansiri indicated in the summer he would be open to selling the club at their home ground, but he has not been able to secure a deal with prospective buyers.
Delayed salary payments on time in spring months led to sanctions by the English Football League (EFL) in June, blocking the team from conducting any player acquisitions for the next three transfer windows, although the ban was rescinded in August.
Regulator's Perspective
The regulator explained: "The position was created for the fans of Sheffield Wednesday, other clubs in similar situations where supporters are loyal to a regional establishment that has been part of their lives in numerous instances.
"I fully appreciate the club's situation, as I do for all the clubs that in modern times have encountered failure, or been close to going to the wall, for factors unrelated to the supporters."
When asked if the regulator could force an owner to sell a club if they are judged inappropriate, the chairman responded: "Should the inquiry concern 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the answer is once we gather the evidence and understand the situation, we will."
But the chairman emphasized 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 begin intervening in an specific team, an specific proprietor, without having the opportunity to collaborate with that owner to try and resolve the issues that the club's facing and the owner's facing," Kogan said.
"However, realistically, when you look back over the history of the game, over the past few decades there have been some owners, not many, but particular people who have shown negligence in the approach they have taken toward their organizations and finally refuse to accept accountability for the long-term prospects."
Owls fans have been demonstrating against the current proprietor this season
'If we get it wrong, extraordinary progress vanishes'
The chairman convened with representatives from 110 clubs to lay out the remit of the regulator on Wednesday and maintained it represented a "proactive meeting" with a "significant participation" from the lower divisions to the top flight.
"The role holds considerable importance, because should mistakes occur, if the sport makes errors, the significant advances achieved necessary will vanish incredibly quickly," the regulator warned.
"And that's what nobody wants in the context of the English game is a substantial accomplishment - we've got to keep it going.
"There's an enormous amount of money entering the sport and has come into football for the past two decades, because there's no guarantee it will keep flowing into the sport, which is one of the reasons why I think we have to adopt a precise perspective on challenges and obviously, of the next two or three years."
Premier League Concerns
The Premier League opposed the establishment of an oversight body because of fears of a negative impact on the Premier League's sporting equality, but Kogan said: "I fully support the success and growth as an financial organization of the Premier League.
"Being fully aware of the worry about compromising the top flight as an elite competition of the nation. But simultaneously, if you talk to the Premier League after this week's discussion, they would have had a high level of reassurance -and, indeed, they have been telling us in private they have a high level of reassurance."
Ideological Links
The regulator remains subject to a "comprehensive investigation" by the Commissioner for Public Appointments after he revealed he contributed money to the Labour Party in 2020.
The chairman donated money to government minister Lisa Nandy's leadership campaign, along with that of the government leader.
"I have fully disclosed my previous political affiliation [with Labour], and that party membership ceased the day the parliamentary committee confirmed my selection," the chairman stated.
"I currently have no participation in any form of political activity."
