'Our role is integral to football's future' - independent football regulator David Kogan
The Championship club's ongoing struggles are seen as a "significant problem" and the new football authority is aiming to acquire authority to investigate clubs in comparable cases, the recently named head the regulator has announced.
During an extensive discussion, Kogan, who was named to the position this week, voiced concern towards the club's followers.
Kogan met with four supporter groups connected to the Championship side recently.
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.
"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 great brands for English football and this week we have met fan representatives.
"Our aim is to acquire the ability... which will enable us to take Wednesday and comparable cases referred to us if they warrant scrutiny and acted upon."
Financial Struggles and Proprietorship Status
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 potential new owners.
Failure to pay player wages on time in spring months resulted in restrictions being imposed by the football authorities in summer, stopping Wednesday from completing any player acquisitions for the next three transfer windows, although the ban was rescinded in August.
Regulator's Perspective
Kogan said: "Our role exists to serve the fans of Sheffield Wednesday, Bury or any football club where supporters are loyal to a community organization that has represented their community in multiple situations.
"I fully appreciate the team's plight, as I do for every team that since 1992 have gone to the wall, or nearly ceased operations, for factors unrelated to the fans themselves."
Inquired if the oversight body could require an chairman to relinquish a club if they are judged inappropriate, the chairman responded: "Should the inquiry concern 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the reply is once we collect the information and know what's going on, we will."
But the regulator clarified that requiring chairmen to relinquish clubs would be considered the final option and the authority would rather to cooperate with proprietors.
"The last thing what we want to do is start getting involved with an specific team, an individual owner, without having the opportunity to collaborate 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 football, over the past few decades there have been certain proprietors, a small minority, but certain individuals who have acted carelessly in the manner they have operated their clubs and ultimately decline to assume obligation for the future."
Owls fans have been demonstrating against the current proprietor in recent months
'Mistakes could erase significant advances'
The regulator engaged delegates from multiple organizations to lay out the remit of the regulator on Wednesday and stated it constituted a "proactive meeting" with a "significant participation" from the National League to the Premier League.
"This position carries substantial significance, because if we get it wrong, if the football community fails, the remarkable development accomplished necessary will vanish swiftly," Kogan said.
"Such an outcome is universally undesirable in the terms of English football is a huge success story - we need to continue the progress.
"Substantial financial resources coming into football and has come into football for the last 20 or 25 years, because there's no guarantee 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 potential dangers and naturally, of the next two or three years."
Elite Division Worries
Elite division representatives objected to the establishment of an oversight body because of concerns about detrimental effects on the Premier League's sporting equality, but Kogan said: "I fully support the success and growth as an financial organization of the elite league.
"As someone who appreciates the apprehension regarding damaging the division as a high-quality offering of this country. But simultaneously, if you consult with top flight officials after the recent gathering, they would have had a substantial amount of confidence -and, indeed, they have been informing us confidentially they have a considerable comfort."
Political Connections
Kogan is still facing a "full inquiry" by the official appointments authority after he revealed he contributed money to the opposition group in 2020.
The chairman contributed funds to government minister the minister's leadership bid, along with that of the current Prime Minister.
"I've been completely open about my former ideological connection [with Labour], and that political affiliation came to an end the day the official body endorsed my nomination," Kogan said.
"I currently have no participation in any sort of politics."
