'Our role is integral to football's future' - newly appointed regulator the new chairman
Sheffield Wednesday's ongoing struggles constitute a "significant problem" and the independent regulator is looking to gain the ability to investigate clubs in comparable cases, the newly appointed chairman the official has declared.
In a wide-ranging interview, the chairman, who was recently selected, expressed "sympathy" towards supporters of the Owls.
The chairman convened with four supporters' associations representing the South Yorkshire club this week.
The Championship side have been struggling on and off the field in 2025, with the club delaying salary disbursements on multiple instances, including in the autumn.
"Evidently Wednesday represents a major concern for the league and a major challenge for the sport," Kogan told.
"Sheffield Wednesday is one of the great brands for English football and in recent days we have met Sheffield Wednesday supporters' groups.
"We are seeking authority... which will enable us to take the club and similar situations referred to us if they warrant scrutiny and dealt with."
Monetary Issues and Leadership Concerns
The team's struggling chairman the Thai businessman suggested earlier this year he would be willing to sell up at their home ground, but he has failed to complete a sale with interested parties.
Delayed salary payments on time in earlier this year resulted in restrictions being imposed by the league officials in June, blocking the team from conducting any recruitment activities for the following recruitment periods, although that restriction was lifted in the end of the transfer window.
Regulator's Perspective
Kogan said: "The position was created for the supporters of Wednesday, Bury or any football club where fans are dedicated to a community organization that has existed throughout their lifetimes in many cases.
"I fully appreciate Sheffield Wednesday, as I do for every team that in modern times have encountered failure, or approached financial ruin, for reasons that have nothing to do with the fans themselves."
Questioned about whether the authority might compel an proprietor to divest a club if they are deemed unsuitable, Kogan said: "When asking whether 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the response would be once we gather the evidence and understand the situation, we will."
But Kogan stressed that requiring chairmen to relinquish clubs would be considered the final option and the oversight body would choose to cooperate with proprietors.
"The last thing what we want to do is commence engagement with an individual club, an particular chairman, without being in a position to cooperate with that owner to try and resolve the issues that the club's facing and the owner's facing," the chairman stated.
"But the truth is, when you look back over the history of the sport, over the recent generations there have been particular chairmen, a small minority, 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 future."
Sheffield Wednesday supporters have been demonstrating against owner Dejphon Chansiri during the current campaign
'If we get it wrong, extraordinary progress vanishes'
The regulator engaged representatives from 110 clubs to explain the responsibilities of the regulator on Wednesday and maintained it represented a "forward-thinking discussion" with a "high level of engagement" from the grassroots to elite level.
"This position carries substantial significance, because if errors are made, if the football community fails, the remarkable development accomplished could disappear rapidly," the chairman stated.
"And that's what nobody wants in the realm of domestic football is a huge success story - we've got to keep it going.
"Considerable investment flowing into the game and has been invested for the last 20 or 25 years, because there's no guarantee it will continue to come into football, which is among the factors explaining I think we have to adopt a precise perspective on challenges and obviously, of the next two or three years."
Premier League Concerns
Top flight officials resisted the creation of a regulator because of fears of a negative impact on the top-flight's competitiveness, but the chairman responded: "I completely endorse the success and growth as an commercial operation of the elite league.
"As someone who appreciates the apprehension regarding damaging the division as a high-quality offering of the nation. But concurrently, if you engage with division representatives after the recent gathering, they would have had a substantial amount of confidence -and, actually, they have been advising us privately they have a considerable comfort."
Ideological Links
Kogan is still facing a "thorough examination" by the public appointments commissioner after he revealed he contributed money to the opposition group in 2020.
The 68-year-old contributed funds to Culture Secretary the politician's campaign, along with that of the government leader.
"I have been entirely transparent regarding my previous political affiliation [with Labour], and that ideological connection terminated the day the parliamentary committee confirmed my selection," the chairman stated.
"I am no longer involved in any form of political activity."
