'We are going to be a part of football's future' - independent football regulator the new chairman
The Championship club's persistent issues are seen as a "major concern" and the independent regulator is aiming to acquire authority to investigate clubs in comparable cases, the recently named head the official has stated.
During an extensive discussion, the chairman, who was recently selected, expressed "sympathy" towards Wednesday's fanbase.
The chairman convened with four supporter groups connected to the football team 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.
"Obviously the club has become a significant problem for EFL and a significant problem for football," Kogan told.
"Wednesday stands as one of the iconic names for football in England and recently we have met Sheffield Wednesday supporters' groups.
"We're now looking to get powers... which will enable us to take Wednesday and comparable cases referred to us if they need to be investigated and dealt with."
Monetary Issues and Leadership Concerns
The team's struggling chairman the Thai businessman stated during the off-season he would be prepared to relinquish control at their home ground, but he has been unable to finalize an agreement with prospective buyers.
Failure to pay player wages on time in March and May resulted in restrictions being imposed by the English Football League (EFL) in June, preventing the club from carrying out any recruitment activities for the following recruitment periods, although that restriction was lifted in late summer.
Official's Viewpoint
The chairman stated: "The position was created for the supporters of Wednesday, other clubs in similar situations where fans are dedicated to a community organization that has been part of their lives in multiple situations.
"I completely understand the team's plight, as I do for each organization that over recent decades have faced collapse, or nearly ceased operations, for causes separate from the followers."
Inquired if the oversight body could require an owner to sell a club if they are deemed unsuitable, Kogan said: "Should the inquiry concern 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the answer is once we assemble the facts and know what's going on, we will."
But the regulator clarified that requiring chairmen to relinquish clubs would be treated as a "last resort" and the oversight body would choose to collaborate with owners.
"The final option we would consider is start getting involved with an particular organization, an specific proprietor, without being able to work with that proprietor to address the problems affecting the organization and the proprietor's dealing with," Kogan said.
"However, realistically, when you review the record of football, over the last 20 or 30 years there have been certain proprietors, few in number, but particular people who have shown negligence in the manner they have operated their clubs and ultimately decline to assume obligation for the coming years."
Owls fans have been voicing opposition to owner Dejphon Chansiri during the current campaign
'If we get it wrong, extraordinary progress vanishes'
Kogan met with representatives from 110 clubs to explain the responsibilities of the oversight body this week and insisted it was a "forward-thinking discussion" with a "significant participation" from the lower divisions to the top flight.
"The role holds considerable importance, because should mistakes occur, if the sport makes errors, the remarkable development accomplished might evaporate swiftly," the regulator warned.
"And that's what nobody wants in the terms of English football is a huge success story - we've got to keep it going.
"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 persist in entering the game, which is one of the reasons why I think we have to take a really clear view on potential dangers and naturally, of the coming seasons."
Top Flight Apprehensions
The Premier League opposed the formation of an authority because of concerns about detrimental effects on the elite division's competitive balance, but the chairman responded: "I fully support the success and growth as an financial organization of the top division.
"As someone who appreciates the apprehension regarding damaging the division as a high-quality offering of this country. But simultaneously, if you engage with division representatives after this week's discussion, they would have had a substantial amount of confidence -and, actually, they have been informing us confidentially they have a considerable comfort."
Partisan Associations
The chairman continues to confront a "full inquiry" by the public appointments commissioner after he revealed he contributed money to the opposition group in 2020.
The official donated money to Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport the minister's leadership bid, along with that of the now Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
"I've been completely open about my previous political affiliation [with Labour], and that party membership ceased the day the official body endorsed my nomination," Kogan said.
"I am presently disconnected from any type of partisan engagement."
