'We will play a key role in football's future' - football oversight chief David Kogan
Sheffield Wednesday's current difficulties represent a a "major concern" and the new football authority is looking to gain the ability to examine team situations in such situations, the recently named head the regulator has announced.
During an extensive discussion, the regulator, who was appointed on Monday, expressed "sympathy" towards supporters of the Owls.
Kogan met with four supporter groups connected to the football team this week.
The football club 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.
"Clearly Sheffield Wednesday has been a serious issue for football authorities and a major challenge for the sport," the chairman stated.
"Sheffield Wednesday is one of the iconic names for English football and recently we have met supporters' organizations.
"Our aim is to acquire the ability... which will permit us to bring the club and similar situations brought to our attention if they warrant scrutiny and addressed."
Financial Struggles and Leadership Concerns
The team's struggling chairman the current owner suggested earlier this year he would be willing to sell up at Hillsborough, but he has been unable to finalize an agreement with potential new owners.
Delayed salary payments on time in spring months led to sanctions by the league officials in June, stopping Wednesday from completing any transfers or loans for the subsequent signing windows, although the ban was rescinded in August.
Authority's Position
Kogan said: "The job [of the regulator] is there for the fans of Sheffield Wednesday, Bury or any football club where people are committed to a regional establishment that has been part of their lives in numerous instances.
"I fully appreciate the team's plight, as I do for all the clubs that in modern times have encountered failure, or approached financial ruin, for reasons that have nothing to do with the fans themselves."
Questioned about whether the regulator could force an chairman to relinquish a club if they are considered unfit, the chairman responded: "Should the inquiry concern 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the reply is once we assemble the facts and understand the situation, we will."
But the regulator clarified that requiring chairmen to relinquish clubs would be viewed as the ultimate measure and the oversight body would choose to collaborate with owners.
"Our least desirable course of action is commence engagement with an particular organization, an individual owner, without having the opportunity to collaborate with that chairman to fix the challenges confronting the team and the chairman's encountering," Kogan said.
"But the truth is, when you review the record of football, over the past few decades 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 long-term prospects."
Owls fans have been protesting against owner Dejphon Chansiri during the current campaign
'If we get it wrong, extraordinary progress vanishes'
The regulator engaged delegates from multiple organizations to detail the scope of the authority recently and stated it constituted a "forward-thinking discussion" 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 extraordinary progress that's been made could disappear rapidly," Kogan said.
"This represents everyone's worst fear in the context of the English game is a huge success story - we must maintain momentum.
"There's an enormous amount of money coming into football 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 adopt a precise perspective on potential dangers and naturally, of the immediate future."
Premier League Concerns
Elite division representatives objected to the establishment of an oversight body because of fears of a negative impact on the Premier League's sporting equality, but the chairman responded: "I'm absolutely committed to the prosperity and expansion as an economic entity of the top division.
"Being fully aware of the apprehension regarding damaging the top flight as an elite competition of England. But simultaneously, if you talk to the Premier League after today's meeting, they would have had a substantial amount of confidence -and, actually, they have been informing us confidentially they have a high level of reassurance."
Partisan Associations
Kogan is still facing a "comprehensive investigation" by the official appointments authority after he disclosed making donations to the political party in the past.
The 68-year-old contributed funds to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy's leadership campaign, along with that of the now Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
"I have been entirely transparent regarding my past party membership [with Labour], and that political affiliation came to an end the day the select committee approved my appointment," the chairman stated.
"I currently have no participation in any form of political activity."
