'Our role is integral to football's future' - newly appointed regulator the new chairman
Sheffield Wednesday's current difficulties represent a a "significant problem" and the football regulator is looking to gain the ability to examine team situations in such situations, the recently named head David Kogan has stated.
In a wide-ranging interview, the regulator, who was named to the position this week, showed understanding towards Wednesday's fanbase.
The chairman convened with four supporters' associations connected to the Championship side recently.
The team have been experiencing difficulties in multiple areas in 2025, with the club delaying salary disbursements on several different times, including in last month.
"Evidently Wednesday represents a serious issue for football authorities and a major challenge for the sport," the regulator explained.
"Wednesday stands as one of the iconic names for English football and this week we have met fan representatives.
"We are seeking authority... which will permit us to bring Wednesday and comparable cases brought to our attention if they require examination and dealt with."
Monetary Issues and Leadership Concerns
The team's struggling chairman the Thai businessman stated during the off-season he would be open to selling the club at the stadium, but he has failed to complete a sale with interested parties.
Missed wage deadlines on time in earlier this year caused limitations by the English Football League (EFL) in summer, blocking the team from conducting any player acquisitions for the next three transfer windows, although those limitations were removed in August.
Official's Viewpoint
The regulator explained: "The job [of the regulator] is there for the supporters of Wednesday, other clubs in similar situations where people are committed to a local institution that has existed throughout their lifetimes in multiple situations.
"I completely understand the club's situation, as I do for all the clubs that in modern times have encountered failure, or approached financial ruin, for factors unrelated to the followers."
When asked if the authority might compel an chairman to relinquish 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 assemble the facts and understand the situation, we will."
But the chairman emphasized that compelling proprietors to divest clubs would be considered the final option and the regulator would prefer to work with them.
"The final option we would consider is start getting involved with an particular organization, an individual owner, without having the opportunity to collaborate with that proprietor to address the issues that the club's facing and the proprietor's dealing with," the chairman stated.
"But the truth is, when you examine the past of the game, over the past few decades there have been some owners, few in number, but certain individuals who have acted carelessly in the manner they have operated their clubs and ultimately refuse to accept accountability for the long-term prospects."
Wednesday followers have been voicing opposition to owner Dejphon Chansiri in recent months
'Mistakes could erase significant advances'
The regulator engaged representatives from 110 clubs to explain the responsibilities of the authority recently and maintained it represented a "forward-thinking discussion" with a "substantial involvement" from the National League to the Premier League.
"It's a job that's actually really important, because should mistakes occur, if the football community fails, the significant advances achieved could disappear incredibly quickly," the chairman stated.
"Such an outcome is universally undesirable in the context of the English game is a huge success story - we must maintain momentum.
"Considerable investment coming into football and has been channeled for the past two decades, because certainty is lacking it will keep flowing into the sport, which is among the factors explaining I think we have to maintain a focused outlook on challenges and obviously, of the next two or three years."
Elite Division Worries
Top flight officials resisted the establishment of an oversight body because of apprehensions regarding adverse consequences on the Premier League's sporting equality, but the regulator stated: "I'm absolutely committed to the achievement and development as an commercial operation of the top division.
"Being fully aware of the worry about compromising the division as a high-quality offering of this country. But concurrently, if you engage with division representatives after today's meeting, they would have had a significant degree of comfort -and, actually, they have been informing us confidentially they have a considerable comfort."
Ideological Links
The regulator remains subject to a "comprehensive investigation" by the public appointments commissioner after he disclosed making donations to the political party in recent years.
The 68-year-old provided financial support for Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport the minister's leadership bid, along with that of the government leader.
"I've been completely open about my past party membership [with Labour], and that political affiliation came to an end the day the select committee approved my appointment," the regulator explained.
"I am presently disconnected from any type of partisan engagement."
