'Our role is integral to football's future' - independent football regulator the new chairman
The Championship club's persistent issues constitute a "significant problem" and the independent regulator is looking to gain the ability to look into club affairs in comparable cases, the recently named head the regulator has announced.
Through a comprehensive talk, Kogan, who was recently selected, showed understanding towards Wednesday's fanbase.
The regulator engaged with four fan organizations representing the South Yorkshire club recently.
The football club have been facing challenges both on and off the pitch in 2025, with the club failing to pay players on time on five separate occasions, including in last month.
"Evidently Wednesday represents a serious issue for football authorities and a significant problem for football," the chairman stated.
"The club represents one of the historic institutions for the English game and in recent days we have met supporters' organizations.
"We are seeking authority... which will enable us to take Sheffield Wednesday - and other clubs brought to our attention if they require examination and acted upon."
Monetary Issues and Ownership Situation
The club's controversial proprietor the Thai businessman suggested earlier this year he would be willing to sell up at Hillsborough, but he has failed to complete a sale with prospective buyers.
Failure to pay player wages on time in March and May resulted in restrictions being imposed by the English Football League (EFL) in June, blocking the team from conducting any transfers or loans for the next three transfer windows, although those limitations were removed in August.
Official's Viewpoint
The regulator explained: "Our role exists to serve the fans of Sheffield Wednesday, Bury or any football club where supporters are loyal to a local institution that has represented their community in multiple situations.
"I completely understand the team's plight, as I do for all the clubs that in modern times have encountered failure, or approached financial ruin, for factors unrelated to the fans themselves."
When asked if the regulator could force an proprietor to divest a club if they are deemed unsuitable, the chairman responded: "Should the inquiry concern 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the answer is once we gather the evidence and comprehend the circumstances, we will."
But Kogan stressed that forcing owners to sell 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 particular organization, an particular chairman, without being able to work with that chairman to fix the issues that the club's facing and the chairman's encountering," the chairman stated.
"But the truth is, when you look back over the history of the sport, over the recent generations there have been particular chairmen, few in number, but certain individuals who have acted carelessly in the manner they have operated their organizations and finally decline to assume obligation for the future."
Sheffield Wednesday supporters have been demonstrating against owner Dejphon Chansiri this season
'If we get it wrong, extraordinary progress vanishes'
The regulator engaged officials from numerous teams to explain the responsibilities of the regulator on Wednesday and stated it constituted a "proactive meeting" with a "significant participation" from the lower divisions to the top flight.
"The role holds considerable importance, because if we get it wrong, if the football community fails, the significant advances achieved could disappear rapidly," the chairman stated.
"This represents everyone's worst fear in the terms of English football is a substantial accomplishment - we need to continue the progress.
"Considerable investment entering the sport and has come into football for the last 20 or 25 years, because there's no guarantee it will continue to come into football, which is one of the reasons why I think we have to take a really clear view on risk and of course, of the next two or three years."
Top Flight Apprehensions
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 prosperity and expansion as an commercial operation of the elite league.
"Being fully aware of the apprehension regarding damaging the top flight as an elite competition of England. But simultaneously, if you engage with division representatives after this week's discussion, they would have had a significant degree of comfort -and, actually, they have been telling us in private they have a significant confidence."
Partisan Associations
Kogan is still facing a "full inquiry" by the public appointments commissioner after he acknowledged providing funds to the political party in 2020.
The 68-year-old contributed funds to Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Lisa Nandy's leadership campaign, along with that of the now Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
"I have fully disclosed my previous political affiliation [with Labour], and that ideological connection terminated the day the select committee approved my appointment," the regulator explained.
"I currently have no participation in any type of partisan engagement."
