'Our role is integral to football's future' - independent football regulator the new chairman
The team's persistent issues are seen as a "serious issue" and the independent regulator is looking to gain the ability to investigate clubs in such situations, the newly appointed chairman the regulator has declared.
During an extensive discussion, Kogan, who was named to the position this week, expressed "sympathy" towards Wednesday's fanbase.
The chairman convened with four supporters' associations representing the football team this week.
The team have been experiencing difficulties in multiple areas in 2025, with the club failing to pay players on time on five separate occasions, including in last month.
"Obviously the club has become a major concern for the league and a substantial concern for English football," Kogan told.
"Sheffield Wednesday is one of the great brands for English football 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 acted upon."
Economic Challenges and Ownership Situation
Wednesday's embattled owner 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 league officials in summer, blocking the team from conducting any recruitment activities for the subsequent signing windows, although the ban was rescinded in August.
Regulator's Perspective
The regulator explained: "The position was created for the Owls followers, teams facing challenges where people are committed to a community organization that has been part of their lives in multiple situations.
"I completely understand the team's plight, as I do for all the clubs that over recent decades have faced collapse, or been close to going to the wall, for reasons that have nothing to do with the supporters."
When asked if the authority might compel an owner to sell a club if they are judged inappropriate, the chairman responded: "When asking whether 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the reply is once we assemble the facts and comprehend the circumstances, we will."
But the chairman emphasized that compelling proprietors to divest clubs would be viewed as the ultimate measure and the oversight body would choose to cooperate with proprietors.
"The final option we would consider is start getting involved with an individual club, an particular chairman, without being in a position to cooperate with that owner to try and resolve the problems affecting the organization and the chairman's encountering," Kogan said.
"However, realistically, when you examine the past of the game, over the last 20 or 30 years there have been particular chairmen, a small minority, but some who have been irresponsible in the way which they've been managing their teams and eventually decline to assume obligation for the future."
Sheffield Wednesday supporters have been demonstrating against owner Dejphon Chansiri during the current campaign
'If we get it wrong, extraordinary progress vanishes'
Kogan met with delegates from multiple organizations to detail the scope of the oversight body this week and insisted it was a "proactive meeting" with a "significant participation" from the grassroots to elite level.
"This position carries substantial significance, because if we get it wrong, if the football community fails, the extraordinary progress that's been made might evaporate incredibly quickly," Kogan said.
"Such an outcome is universally undesirable in the realm of domestic football is a huge success story - we must maintain momentum.
"There's an enormous amount of money entering the sport and has come into football for the last 20 or 25 years, because there are no assurances it will keep flowing into the sport, which is among the factors explaining I think we have to maintain a focused outlook on potential dangers and naturally, of the coming seasons."
Elite Division Worries
The Premier League opposed the creation of a regulator because of concerns about detrimental effects on the elite division's competitive balance, but Kogan said: "I completely endorse the achievement and development as an commercial operation of the elite league.
"I of all people understand the concern of undermining the top flight as an elite competition of the nation. But simultaneously, if you engage with division representatives after this week's discussion, they would have had a substantial amount of confidence -and, in fact, they have been informing us confidentially they have a high level of reassurance."
Political Connections
Kogan is still facing a "comprehensive investigation" by the official appointments authority after he revealed he contributed money to the opposition group in recent years.
The 68-year-old provided financial support for Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport the minister's leadership bid, along with that of the government leader.
"I've been completely open about my past party membership [with Labour], and that party membership ceased the day the official body endorsed my nomination," the regulator explained.
"I am no longer involved in any form of political activity."
