'We will play a key role in football's future' - newly appointed regulator the new chairman
Sheffield Wednesday's ongoing struggles are seen as a "serious issue" and the independent regulator is aiming to acquire authority to look into club affairs in such situations, the recently named head the official has declared.
During an extensive discussion, Kogan, who was recently selected, showed understanding towards the club's followers.
The regulator engaged with four supporter groups representing the football team in recent days.
The Championship side have been struggling on and off the field in 2025, with the club missing wage payments on multiple instances, including in the autumn.
"Evidently Wednesday represents a significant problem for EFL and a significant problem for football," the chairman stated.
"The club represents one of the great brands for the English game and this week we have met fan representatives.
"We are seeking authority... which will allow us to have the club and similar situations brought to our attention if they need to be investigated and acted upon."
Financial Struggles and Leadership Concerns
Wednesday's embattled owner the current owner stated during the off-season he would be willing to sell up at their home ground, but he has not been able to secure a deal with interested parties.
Failure to pay player wages on time in spring months led to sanctions by the English Football League (EFL) in summer, blocking the team from conducting any transfers or loans for the next three transfer windows, although the ban was rescinded in late summer.
Regulator's Perspective
The regulator explained: "The job [of the regulator] is there for the supporters of Wednesday, Bury or any football club where supporters are loyal to a regional establishment that has existed throughout their lifetimes in numerous instances.
"I completely understand the club's situation, as I do for every team that over recent decades have faced collapse, or approached financial ruin, for factors unrelated to the fans themselves."
Inquired if the oversight body could require an chairman to relinquish a club if they are considered unfit, the chairman responded: "When asking whether 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the answer is once we assemble the facts and understand the situation, we will."
But Kogan stressed that requiring chairmen to relinquish clubs would be viewed as the ultimate measure and the authority would rather to cooperate with proprietors.
"The final option we would consider is start getting involved with an specific team, an particular chairman, without being able to work with that chairman to fix the issues that the club's facing and the chairman's encountering," the regulator explained.
"But the truth is, when you review the record of the sport, over the last 20 or 30 years there have been particular chairmen, few in number, but certain individuals who have acted carelessly in the way which they've been managing their clubs and ultimately decline to assume obligation for the long-term prospects."
Owls fans have been demonstrating against the team's chairman during the current campaign
'If we get it wrong, extraordinary progress vanishes'
The regulator engaged officials from numerous teams to lay out the remit of the authority recently and maintained it represented a "proactive meeting" with a "substantial involvement" from the lower divisions to the top flight.
"This position carries substantial significance, because if we get it wrong, if the football community fails, the extraordinary progress that's been made could disappear incredibly quickly," the chairman stated.
"Such an outcome is universally undesirable in the terms of English football is a substantial accomplishment - we need to continue the progress.
"Considerable investment flowing into the game and has been invested for the past two decades, because there's no guarantee it will keep flowing into the sport, which is among the factors explaining I think we have to adopt a precise perspective on risk and of course, of the coming seasons."
Premier League Concerns
Elite division representatives objected to the creation of a regulator because of concerns about detrimental effects on the elite division's competitive balance, but Kogan said: "I fully support the prosperity and expansion as an economic entity of the top division.
"As someone who appreciates the concern of undermining the top flight as an elite competition of this country. But concurrently, if you talk to the Premier League after the recent gathering, they would have had a substantial amount of confidence -and, indeed, they have been informing us confidentially they have a high level of reassurance."
Partisan Associations
The chairman continues to confront a "thorough examination" by the Commissioner for Public Appointments after he disclosed making donations to the political party in 2020.
The official contributed funds to Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport the politician's campaign, along with that of the now Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
"I have fully disclosed my previous political affiliation [with Labour], and that party membership ceased the day the official body endorsed my nomination," the chairman stated.
"I am presently disconnected from any form of political activity."
