'We will play a key role in football's future' - newly appointed regulator the new chairman
Sheffield Wednesday's ongoing struggles constitute a "significant problem" and the new football authority is aiming to acquire authority to look into club affairs in such situations, the recently named head the official has announced.
Through a comprehensive talk, the chairman, who was appointed on Monday, expressed "sympathy" towards supporters of the Owls.
Kogan met with four supporter groups representing the Championship side 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 multiple instances, including in the autumn.
"Evidently Wednesday represents a serious issue for football authorities and a major challenge for the sport," the chairman stated.
"Wednesday stands as one of the great brands for English football and recently we have met fan representatives.
"We are seeking authority... which will allow us to have Wednesday and comparable cases submitted for our review if they require examination and dealt with."
Economic Challenges and Proprietorship Status
The club's controversial proprietor Dejphon Chansiri indicated in the summer he would be prepared to relinquish control at Hillsborough, but he has not been able to secure a deal with prospective buyers.
Failure to pay player wages on time in spring months resulted in restrictions being imposed by the English Football League (EFL) in mid-year, preventing the club from carrying out any player acquisitions for the next three transfer windows, although that restriction was lifted in August.
Authority's Position
The regulator explained: "Our role exists to serve the Owls followers, Bury or any football club where people are committed to a local institution that has represented their community in many cases.
"I have absolute sympathy for 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."
When asked if the authority might compel an owner to sell a club if they are considered unfit, Kogan said: "When asking whether 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the answer is once we collect the information and understand the situation, we will."
But the chairman emphasized that requiring chairmen to relinquish clubs would be considered the final option and the regulator would prefer to work with them.
"The final option we would consider is commence engagement with an particular organization, an specific proprietor, without being in a position to cooperate with that owner to try and resolve the issues that the club's facing and the proprietor's dealing with," Kogan said.
"In actuality, when you review the record of football, over the past few decades there have been particular chairmen, not many, but particular people who have shown negligence in the way which they've been managing their organizations and finally don't wish to take responsibility for the long-term prospects."
Wednesday followers have been protesting against the team's chairman this season
'If we get it wrong, extraordinary progress vanishes'
Kogan met with delegates from multiple organizations to lay out the remit of the oversight body this week 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 should mistakes occur, if the football community fails, the extraordinary progress that's been made could disappear incredibly quickly," Kogan said.
"Such an outcome is universally undesirable in the terms of English football is a substantial accomplishment - we need to continue the progress.
"Considerable investment coming into football and has been invested for the last 20 or 25 years, because certainty is lacking it will keep flowing into the sport, which is among the factors explaining I think we have to take a really clear view on potential dangers and naturally, of the next two or three years."
Premier League Concerns
Elite division representatives objected to the creation of a regulator because of apprehensions regarding adverse consequences on the elite division's competitive balance, but Kogan said: "I'm absolutely committed to the achievement and development as an commercial operation of the elite league.
"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 engage with division representatives after this week's discussion, they would have had a high level of reassurance -and, in fact, they have been advising us privately they have a significant confidence."
Political Connections
The regulator remains subject to a "thorough examination" by the Commissioner for Public Appointments after he acknowledged providing funds to the Labour Party in recent years.
The chairman donated money to Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport the politician's campaign, along with that of the current Prime Minister.
"I have fully disclosed my past party membership [with Labour], and that political affiliation came to an end the day the parliamentary committee confirmed my selection," the regulator explained.
"I am presently disconnected from any form of political activity."
