'We are going to be a part of football's future' - football oversight chief the regulator's chair
The Championship club's persistent issues represent a a "serious issue" and the independent regulator is looking to gain the ability to investigate clubs in comparable cases, 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 Wednesday's fanbase.
The chairman convened with four supporter groups connected to the Championship side in recent days.
The football club have been struggling on and off the field in 2025, with the club missing wage payments on several different times, including in September.
"Evidently Wednesday represents a major concern for the league and a significant problem for football," Kogan told.
"Wednesday stands as one of the iconic names for football in England and in recent days we have met fan representatives.
"We're now looking to get powers... which will allow us to have the club and similar situations referred to us if they require examination and addressed."
Economic Challenges and Ownership Situation
The team's struggling chairman Dejphon Chansiri stated during the off-season he would be willing to sell up at the stadium, but he has failed to complete a sale with prospective buyers.
Missed wage deadlines on time in March and May led to sanctions by the league officials in summer, stopping Wednesday from completing any recruitment activities for the subsequent signing windows, although the ban was rescinded in the end of the transfer window.
Regulator's Perspective
The regulator explained: "The job [of the regulator] is there for the Owls followers, other clubs in similar situations where fans are dedicated to a regional establishment that has represented their community in numerous instances.
"I have absolute sympathy for Sheffield Wednesday, as I do for every team that in modern times have encountered failure, or nearly ceased operations, for causes separate from the fans themselves."
Questioned about whether the authority might compel an chairman to relinquish a club if they are deemed unsuitable, the regulator answered: "Should the inquiry concern '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 compelling proprietors to divest clubs would be considered the final option and the oversight body would choose to work with them.
"The final option we would consider is start getting involved with an individual club, an specific proprietor, without being able to work with that chairman to fix the issues that the club's facing and the proprietor's dealing with," the chairman stated.
"However, realistically, when you review the record of the sport, over the past few decades there have been certain proprietors, not many, but particular people who have shown negligence in the approach they have taken toward their clubs and ultimately decline to assume obligation for the coming years."
Owls fans have been demonstrating against owner Dejphon Chansiri in recent months
'Mistakes could erase significant advances'
Kogan met with representatives from 110 clubs to detail the scope of the oversight body this week and insisted it was a "proactive meeting" with a "high level of engagement" from the National League to the Premier League.
"It's a job that's actually really important, because if we get it wrong, if the world of football gets it wrong, the remarkable development accomplished might evaporate rapidly," the regulator warned.
"And that's what nobody wants 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 channeled for the past two decades, because there are no assurances it will persist in entering the game, which is part of the rationale behind I think we have to adopt a precise perspective on challenges and obviously, of the next two or three years."
Premier League Concerns
Top flight officials resisted the creation of a regulator because of fears of a negative impact on the elite division's competitive balance, but the chairman responded: "I fully support the achievement and development as an commercial operation of the elite league.
"I of all people understand the worry about compromising the division as a high-quality offering of England. But concurrently, if you talk to the Premier League after this week's discussion, they would have had a substantial amount of confidence -and, actually, they have been informing us confidentially they have a significant confidence."
Ideological Links
The regulator remains subject to a "comprehensive investigation" by the official appointments authority after he disclosed making donations to the political party in the past.
The 68-year-old provided financial support for Culture Secretary the politician's campaign, along with that of the government leader.
"I have been entirely transparent regarding my previous political affiliation [with Labour], and that political affiliation came to an end the day the parliamentary committee confirmed my selection," the regulator explained.
"I currently have no participation in any sort of politics."
