'We are going to be a part of football's future' - newly appointed regulator the new chairman
The Championship club's current difficulties constitute a "significant problem" and the new football authority is seeking powers to look into club affairs in such situations, the newly appointed chairman 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 regulator engaged with four supporter groups associated with the Championship side this week.
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 September.
"Evidently Wednesday represents a major concern for the league and a substantial concern for English football," Kogan told.
"Wednesday stands as one of the great brands for football in England and recently we have met fan representatives.
"We're now looking to get powers... which will enable us to take Wednesday and comparable cases submitted for our review if they need to be investigated and dealt with."
Economic Challenges and Ownership Situation
The club's controversial proprietor the current owner suggested earlier this year he would be willing to sell up at Hillsborough, but he has failed to complete a sale with interested parties.
Missed wage deadlines on time in spring months led to sanctions by the football authorities in June, preventing the club from carrying out any player acquisitions for the next three transfer windows, although the ban was rescinded in the end of the transfer window.
Official's Viewpoint
Kogan said: "Our role exists to serve the Owls followers, teams facing challenges where supporters are loyal to a regional establishment that has been part of their lives in many cases.
"I fully appreciate the team's plight, as I do for all the clubs that in modern times have encountered failure, or been close to going to the wall, for reasons that have nothing to do with the followers."
Questioned about whether the regulator could force an owner to sell a club if they are judged inappropriate, Kogan said: "When asking whether 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the response would be once we collect the information and understand the situation, we will."
But the regulator clarified that compelling proprietors to divest clubs would be viewed as the ultimate measure and the regulator would prefer to collaborate with owners.
"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 proprietor's dealing with," Kogan said.
"But the truth is, when you look back over the history of the game, over the past few decades there have been certain proprietors, not many, but particular people who have shown negligence in the approach they have taken toward their clubs and ultimately decline to assume obligation for the long-term prospects."
Sheffield Wednesday supporters have been demonstrating against owner Dejphon Chansiri in recent months
'Errors may undo substantial development'
The chairman convened with officials from numerous teams to lay out the remit of the regulator on Wednesday and insisted it was a "forward-thinking discussion" with a "high level of engagement" from the grassroots to elite level.
"The role holds considerable importance, because should mistakes occur, if the football community fails, the significant advances achieved could disappear swiftly," Kogan said.
"This represents everyone's worst fear in the terms of English football is a substantial accomplishment - we've got to keep it going.
"There's an enormous amount of money entering the sport and has been channeled for the last 20 or 25 years, because certainty is lacking it will keep flowing into the sport, which is part of the rationale behind I think we have to take a really clear view on risk and of course, of the immediate future."
Elite Division Worries
Top flight officials resisted the establishment of an oversight body because of fears of a negative impact on the elite division's competitive balance, but the chairman responded: "I fully support the prosperity and expansion as an economic entity of the top division.
"Being fully aware of the worry about compromising the Premier League as a premium product of the nation. But at the same time, if you talk to the Premier League after the recent gathering, they would have had a high level of reassurance -and, actually, they have been advising us privately they have a significant confidence."
Partisan Associations
Kogan is still facing a "thorough examination" by the public appointments commissioner after he revealed he contributed money to the political party in recent years.
The chairman donated money to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy's leadership campaign, along with that of the current Prime Minister.
"I have been entirely transparent regarding my former ideological connection [with Labour], and that political affiliation came to an end the day the parliamentary committee confirmed my selection," the chairman stated.
"I currently have no participation in any form of political activity."
