'Our role is integral to football's future' - newly appointed regulator the regulator's chair
Sheffield Wednesday's ongoing struggles represent a a "serious issue" and the football regulator is seeking powers to investigate clubs in comparable cases, its new chair the regulator has stated.
In a wide-ranging interview, Kogan, who was appointed on Monday, voiced concern towards Wednesday's fanbase.
The chairman convened with four fan organizations associated with the Championship side in recent days.
The football club have been experiencing difficulties in multiple areas in 2025, with the club missing wage payments on five separate occasions, including in September.
"Evidently Wednesday represents a major concern for the league and a substantial concern for English football," Kogan told.
"Wednesday stands as one of the iconic names for English football and this week we have met fan representatives.
"We're now looking to get powers... which will permit us to bring the club and similar situations referred to us if they need to be investigated and dealt with."
Monetary Issues and Proprietorship Status
The team's struggling chairman the current owner stated during the off-season he would be prepared to relinquish control at the stadium, but he has been unable to finalize an agreement with interested parties.
Failure to pay player wages on time in earlier this year resulted in restrictions being imposed by the league officials in summer, stopping Wednesday from completing any transfers or loans for the subsequent signing windows, although the ban was rescinded in August.
Authority's Position
Kogan said: "The job [of the regulator] is there for the supporters of Wednesday, teams facing challenges where fans are dedicated to a local institution that has represented their community in many cases.
"I fully appreciate the club's situation, as I do for each organization that since 1992 have gone to the wall, or been close to going to the wall, for causes separate from the supporters."
When asked if the regulator could force an owner to sell a club if they are considered unfit, Kogan said: "When asking whether 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the reply 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.
"Our least desirable course of action is commence engagement with an individual club, an specific proprietor, without being in a position to cooperate with that owner to try and resolve the problems affecting the organization and the proprietor's dealing with," the regulator explained.
"However, realistically, when you examine the past of the game, over the last 20 or 30 years there have been particular chairmen, a small minority, but some who have been irresponsible in the way which they've been managing their organizations and finally decline to assume obligation for the future."
Wednesday followers have been demonstrating against the current proprietor this season
'Mistakes could erase significant advances'
Kogan met with officials from numerous teams to explain the responsibilities of the oversight body this week and stated it constituted a "proactive meeting" with a "substantial involvement" from the lower divisions to the top flight.
"It's a job that's actually really important, because should mistakes occur, if the sport makes errors, the extraordinary progress that's been made necessary will vanish swiftly," the regulator warned.
"Such an outcome is universally undesirable in the context of the English game is a substantial accomplishment - we've got to keep it going.
"Considerable investment entering the sport and has been channeled for the recent generations, because certainty is lacking 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 immediate future."
Premier League Concerns
Top flight officials resisted the creation of a regulator because of concerns about detrimental effects on the top-flight's competitiveness, but the chairman responded: "I fully support the achievement and development as an financial organization of the Premier League.
"I of all people understand the worry about compromising the division as a high-quality offering of England. But simultaneously, if you consult with top flight officials after today's meeting, they would have had a significant degree of comfort -and, in fact, they have been informing us confidentially they have a considerable comfort."
Partisan Associations
The regulator remains subject to a "full inquiry" by the public appointments commissioner after he acknowledged providing funds to the opposition group in recent years.
The official provided financial support for Culture Secretary the politician's campaign, along with that of the government leader.
"I've been completely open about my former ideological connection [with Labour], and that political affiliation came to an end the day the parliamentary committee confirmed my selection," the regulator explained.
"I am no longer involved in any sort of politics."
