'Our role is integral to football's future' - independent football regulator the regulator's chair
The team's ongoing struggles represent a a "significant problem" and the new football authority is seeking powers to look into club affairs in such situations, its new chair the regulator has declared.
Through a comprehensive talk, the regulator, who was appointed on Monday, showed understanding towards supporters of the Owls.
The chairman convened with four supporters' associations connected to the South Yorkshire club this week.
The team have been facing challenges both on and off the pitch in 2025, with the club missing wage payments on several different times, including in September.
"Obviously the club has become a serious issue for football authorities and a significant problem for football," the chairman stated.
"Wednesday stands as one of the iconic names for English football and recently we have met Sheffield Wednesday supporters' groups.
"We're now looking to get powers... which will allow us to have Sheffield Wednesday - and other clubs referred to us if they warrant scrutiny and dealt with."
Economic Challenges and Leadership Concerns
Wednesday's embattled owner the Thai businessman stated during the off-season he would be prepared to relinquish control at Hillsborough, but he has been unable to finalize an agreement with prospective buyers.
Delayed salary payments on time in spring months led to sanctions by the league officials in June, stopping Wednesday from completing any transfers or loans for the subsequent signing windows, although that restriction was lifted in the end of the transfer window.
Official's Viewpoint
The regulator explained: "Our role exists to serve the supporters of Wednesday, Bury or any football club where supporters are loyal to a community organization that has represented their community in numerous instances.
"I completely understand Sheffield Wednesday, as I do for each organization that in modern times have encountered failure, or nearly ceased operations, for causes separate from the followers."
Questioned about whether the regulator could force an owner to sell a club if they are considered unfit, Kogan said: "Should the inquiry concern 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the response would be once we assemble the facts and understand the situation, we will."
But Kogan stressed that compelling proprietors to divest clubs would be viewed as the ultimate measure and the authority would rather to collaborate with owners.
"The final option we would consider is commence engagement with an individual club, an individual owner, without being able to work with that chairman to fix the issues that the club's facing and the owner's facing," the regulator explained.
"However, realistically, when you examine the past of the game, over the recent generations there have been certain proprietors, not many, but some who have been irresponsible in the way which they've been managing their teams and eventually don't wish to take responsibility for the long-term prospects."
Wednesday followers have been protesting against owner Dejphon Chansiri this season
'If we get it wrong, extraordinary progress vanishes'
The regulator engaged delegates from multiple organizations to detail the scope of the regulator on Wednesday and insisted it was a "forward-thinking discussion" with a "substantial involvement" from the National League to the Premier League.
"This position carries substantial significance, because if we get it wrong, if the football community fails, the significant advances achieved could disappear rapidly," the chairman stated.
"This represents everyone's worst fear in the terms of English football is a substantial accomplishment - we need to continue the progress.
"There's an enormous amount of money flowing into the game and has come into football for the recent generations, because there's no guarantee it will persist in entering the game, which is among the factors explaining I think we have to maintain a focused outlook on risk and of course, of the next two or three years."
Premier League Concerns
Top flight officials resisted the establishment of an oversight body because of apprehensions regarding adverse consequences on the top-flight's competitiveness, but the chairman responded: "I'm absolutely committed to the success and growth as an financial organization of the top division.
"As someone who appreciates the apprehension regarding damaging the top flight as an elite competition of this country. But concurrently, if you talk to the Premier League after this week's discussion, they would have had a high level of reassurance -and, actually, they have been advising us privately they have a significant confidence."
Ideological Links
The chairman continues to confront a "thorough examination" by the public appointments commissioner after he acknowledged providing funds to the Labour Party in recent years.
The official donated money to government minister the politician's campaign, along with that of the now Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
"I've been completely open about my former ideological connection [with Labour], and that political affiliation came to an end the day the official body endorsed my nomination," Kogan said.
"I am no longer involved in any type of partisan engagement."
