'We are going to be a part of football's future' - football oversight chief the regulator's chair
Sheffield Wednesday's current difficulties constitute a "major concern" and the new football authority is looking to gain the ability to investigate clubs in similar circumstances, its new chair David Kogan 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 associated with the Championship side in recent days.
The football club have been experiencing difficulties in multiple areas in 2025, with the club failing to pay players on time on five separate occasions, including in September.
"Obviously the club has become a major concern for the league and a substantial concern for English football," the regulator explained.
"The club represents one of the historic institutions for football in England and this week we have met Sheffield Wednesday supporters' groups.
"We're now looking to get powers... which will allow us to have Wednesday and comparable cases submitted for our review if they need to be investigated and acted upon."
Economic Challenges and Ownership Situation
The team's struggling chairman the Thai businessman suggested earlier this year he would be prepared to relinquish control at the stadium, but he has not been able to secure a deal with interested parties.
Missed wage deadlines on time in earlier this year led to sanctions by the English Football League (EFL) in summer, blocking the team from conducting any recruitment activities for the following recruitment periods, although those limitations were removed in August.
Authority's Position
Kogan said: "The position was created for the Owls followers, other clubs in similar situations where fans are dedicated to a community organization that has represented their community in multiple situations.
"I fully appreciate Sheffield Wednesday, as I do for every team that over recent decades have faced collapse, or approached financial ruin, for reasons that have nothing to do with the fans themselves."
Inquired if the regulator could force an proprietor to divest a club if they are deemed unsuitable, Kogan said: "When asking whether 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the answer is once we collect the information and know what's going on, we will."
But the chairman emphasized that compelling proprietors to divest clubs would be viewed as the ultimate measure and the oversight body would choose to collaborate with owners.
"The final option we would consider is begin intervening in an specific team, an individual owner, without being in a position to cooperate with that proprietor to address the issues that the club's facing and the chairman's encountering," the regulator explained.
"But the truth is, when you look back over the history of the game, over the recent generations there have been some owners, not many, but particular people who have shown negligence in the manner they have operated their teams and eventually refuse to accept accountability for the long-term prospects."
Wednesday followers have been voicing opposition to 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 maintained it represented a "forward-thinking discussion" with a "significant participation" from the National League to the Premier League.
"The role holds considerable importance, because if we get it wrong, if the world of football gets it wrong, the remarkable development accomplished necessary will vanish swiftly," Kogan said.
"Such an outcome is universally undesirable in the context of the English game is a major achievement - we must maintain momentum.
"There's an enormous amount of money entering the sport and has been channeled for the recent generations, because there's no guarantee 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 immediate future."
Top Flight Apprehensions
Elite division representatives objected to the creation of a regulator because of apprehensions regarding adverse consequences on the elite division's competitive balance, but Kogan said: "I fully support the success and growth as an financial organization of the top division.
"I of all people understand the concern of undermining the Premier League as a premium product of this country. But at the same time, if you talk to the Premier League after today's meeting, they would have had a high level of reassurance -and, in fact, they have been informing us confidentially they have a considerable comfort."
Partisan Associations
The regulator remains subject to a "comprehensive investigation" by the official appointments authority after he acknowledged providing funds to the political party in the past.
The 68-year-old contributed funds to government minister Lisa Nandy's leadership campaign, along with that of the now Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
"I've been completely open about my past party membership [with Labour], and that party membership ceased the day the select committee approved my appointment," Kogan said.
"I am presently disconnected from any type of partisan engagement."
