'Our role is integral to football's future' - football oversight chief the regulator's chair
The team's current difficulties are seen as a "significant problem" and the independent regulator is aiming to acquire authority to examine team situations in similar circumstances, its new chair the regulator has stated.
In a wide-ranging interview, the chairman, who was named to the position this week, expressed "sympathy" towards supporters of the Owls.
The regulator engaged with four fan organizations connected to the football team in recent days.
The team have been struggling on and off the field in 2025, with the club delaying salary disbursements on multiple instances, including in September.
"Obviously the club has become a serious issue for football authorities and a major challenge for the sport," the regulator explained.
"Sheffield Wednesday is one of the historic institutions for English football and this week we have met fan representatives.
"Our aim is to acquire the ability... which will permit us to bring Sheffield Wednesday - and other clubs brought to our attention if they require examination and dealt with."
Financial Struggles and Ownership Situation
The club's controversial proprietor Dejphon Chansiri indicated in the summer he would be willing to sell up at Hillsborough, but he has not been able to secure a deal with interested parties.
Missed wage deadlines on time in spring months led to sanctions by the English Football League (EFL) in summer, preventing the club from carrying out any player acquisitions for the next three transfer windows, although those limitations were removed in the end of the transfer window.
Regulator's Perspective
The chairman stated: "The job [of the regulator] is there for the supporters of Wednesday, Bury or any football club where supporters are loyal to a local institution that has existed throughout their lifetimes in multiple situations.
"I fully appreciate the team's plight, as I do for each organization that in modern times have encountered failure, or approached financial ruin, for causes separate from the followers."
Inquired if the authority might compel an owner to sell a club if they are considered unfit, the chairman responded: "If your question is 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the answer is once we collect the information and know what's going on, we will."
But Kogan stressed that requiring chairmen to relinquish clubs would be treated as a "last resort" and the oversight body would choose to work with them.
"The final option we would consider is commence engagement with an particular organization, an particular chairman, without being in a position to cooperate with that proprietor to address the problems affecting the organization and the chairman's encountering," Kogan said.
"But the truth is, when you look back over the history of the sport, over the past few decades there have been certain proprietors, few in number, but some who have been irresponsible in the way which they've been managing their organizations and finally refuse to accept accountability for the long-term prospects."
Owls fans have been demonstrating against the current proprietor during the current campaign
'Mistakes could erase significant advances'
The chairman convened with officials from numerous teams to detail the scope of the oversight body this week and stated it constituted a "proactive meeting" with a "high level of engagement" from the lower divisions to the top flight.
"This position carries substantial significance, because should mistakes occur, if the football community fails, the extraordinary progress that's been made necessary will vanish rapidly," Kogan said.
"This represents everyone's worst fear in the terms of English football is a huge success story - we must maintain momentum.
"Considerable investment coming into football and has been channeled for the last 20 or 25 years, because certainty is lacking it will continue to come into football, which is among the factors explaining I think we have to take a really clear view on risk and of course, of the next two or three years."
Top Flight Apprehensions
Top flight officials resisted the formation of an authority because of fears of a negative impact on the top-flight's competitiveness, but the regulator stated: "I'm absolutely committed to the prosperity and expansion as an economic entity of the elite league.
"I of all people understand the worry about compromising the top flight as an elite competition of the nation. But simultaneously, if you engage with division representatives after today's meeting, they would have had a high level of reassurance -and, indeed, they have been telling us in private they have a considerable comfort."
Partisan Associations
The chairman continues to confront a "comprehensive investigation" by the public appointments commissioner after he acknowledged providing funds to the Labour Party in the past.
The official donated money to Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport the minister's leadership bid, along with that of the government leader.
"I have been entirely transparent regarding my former ideological connection [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."
