'Our role is integral to football's future' - newly appointed regulator the new chairman
Sheffield Wednesday's persistent issues are seen as a "serious issue" and the new football authority is seeking powers to examine team situations in similar circumstances, the recently named head David Kogan has stated.
In a wide-ranging interview, the chairman, who was named to the position this week, showed understanding towards Wednesday's fanbase.
The regulator engaged with four fan organizations representing the Championship side in recent days.
The Championship side have been struggling on and off the field 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 major challenge for the sport," the regulator explained.
"Wednesday stands as one of the great brands for English football and this week we have met supporters' organizations.
"We're now looking to get powers... which will enable us to take the club and similar situations referred to us if they require examination and dealt with."
Economic Challenges and Leadership Concerns
The team's struggling chairman Dejphon Chansiri indicated in the summer he would be open to selling the club at Hillsborough, but he has failed to complete a sale with interested parties.
Delayed salary payments on time in earlier this year caused limitations by the English Football League (EFL) in mid-year, stopping Wednesday from completing any transfers or loans for the subsequent signing windows, although the ban was rescinded in late summer.
Regulator's Perspective
The chairman stated: "The position was created for the supporters of Wednesday, teams facing challenges where fans are dedicated to a community organization that has represented their community in multiple situations.
"I have absolute sympathy for the club's situation, as I do for each organization that over recent decades have faced collapse, or approached financial ruin, for factors unrelated to the followers."
Inquired if the regulator could force an proprietor to divest a club if they are judged inappropriate, the regulator answered: "Should the inquiry concern 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the answer is once we collect the information and know what's going on, we will."
But the chairman emphasized that requiring chairmen to relinquish clubs would be viewed as the ultimate measure and the authority would rather to work with them.
"The final option we would consider is start getting involved with an particular organization, an individual owner, without being able to work with that owner to try and resolve the challenges confronting the team and the owner's facing," the regulator explained.
"However, realistically, when you look back over the history of the game, over the past few decades there have been some owners, a small minority, but certain individuals who have acted carelessly in the way which they've been managing their teams and eventually refuse to accept accountability for the coming years."
Sheffield Wednesday supporters have been voicing opposition to owner Dejphon Chansiri in recent months
'Errors may undo substantial development'
The regulator engaged representatives from 110 clubs to lay out the remit 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.
"It's a job that's actually really important, because if we get it wrong, if the world of football gets it wrong, the extraordinary progress that's been made necessary will vanish swiftly," the regulator warned.
"Such an outcome is universally undesirable in the realm of domestic football is a huge success story - we've got to keep it going.
"Considerable investment entering the sport and has been channeled for the recent generations, because certainty is lacking it will keep flowing into the sport, which is part of the rationale behind I think we have to maintain a focused outlook on challenges and obviously, of the immediate future."
Premier League Concerns
Top flight officials resisted the formation of an authority because of fears of a negative impact on the top-flight's competitiveness, but Kogan said: "I fully support the success and growth as an economic entity of the elite league.
"As someone who appreciates the concern of undermining the top flight as an elite competition of this country. But simultaneously, if you engage with division representatives after this week's discussion, they would have had a significant degree of comfort -and, indeed, they have been informing us confidentially they have a significant confidence."
Ideological Links
Kogan is still facing a "comprehensive investigation" by the public appointments commissioner after he revealed he contributed money to the political party in recent years.
The chairman provided financial support for Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy's leadership campaign, along with that of the current Prime Minister.
"I've been completely open about my previous political affiliation [with Labour], and that political affiliation came to an end the day the select committee approved my appointment," Kogan said.
"I currently have no participation in any form of political activity."
