'Our role is integral to football's future' - football oversight chief David Kogan
Sheffield Wednesday's ongoing struggles constitute a "serious issue" and the new football authority is seeking powers to investigate clubs in similar circumstances, its new chair the regulator has announced.
During an extensive discussion, Kogan, who was appointed on Monday, showed understanding towards supporters of the Owls.
Kogan met with four fan organizations representing the Championship side recently.
The Championship side have been experiencing difficulties in multiple areas in 2025, with the club missing wage payments on several different times, including in September.
"Clearly Sheffield Wednesday has been a significant problem for EFL and a major challenge for the sport," Kogan told.
"The club represents one of the iconic names for football in England and in recent days we have met supporters' organizations.
"We are seeking authority... which will enable us to take Wednesday and comparable cases submitted for our review if they need to be investigated and addressed."
Financial Struggles and Leadership Concerns
The club's controversial proprietor Dejphon Chansiri indicated in the summer he would be prepared to relinquish control at the stadium, but he has not been able to secure a deal with prospective buyers.
Delayed salary payments on time in March and May led to sanctions by the league officials in mid-year, stopping Wednesday from completing any player acquisitions for the subsequent signing windows, although those limitations were removed in the end of the transfer window.
Regulator's Perspective
Kogan said: "Our role exists to serve the Owls followers, Bury or any football club where supporters are loyal to a community organization that has existed throughout their lifetimes in multiple situations.
"I completely understand the club's situation, as I do for every team that over recent decades have faced collapse, or been close to going to the wall, for causes separate from the fans themselves."
Questioned about whether the oversight body could require an owner to sell a club if they are considered unfit, the regulator answered: "Should the inquiry concern 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the response would be once we gather the evidence and know what's going on, we will."
But Kogan stressed that forcing owners to sell clubs would be considered the final option and the oversight body would choose to work with them.
"The final option we would consider is commence engagement with an particular organization, 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 chairman stated.
"In actuality, when you examine the past of the sport, over the past few decades there have been particular chairmen, not many, but particular people who have shown negligence in the approach they have taken toward their clubs and ultimately don't wish to take responsibility for the future."
Wednesday followers have been protesting against the current proprietor during the current campaign
'Errors may undo substantial development'
Kogan met with representatives from 110 clubs 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.
"The role holds considerable importance, because if errors are made, if the football community fails, the remarkable development accomplished might evaporate swiftly," the regulator warned.
"And that's what nobody wants in the terms of English football is a huge success story - we need to continue the progress.
"Considerable investment coming into football and has come into football for the past two decades, because certainty is lacking it will persist in entering the game, which is part of the rationale behind I think we have to adopt a precise perspective on potential dangers and naturally, of the next two or three years."
Top Flight Apprehensions
Elite division representatives objected to the establishment of an oversight body because of fears of a negative impact on the Premier League's sporting equality, but the regulator stated: "I fully support the success and growth as an commercial operation of the elite league.
"I of all people understand the concern of undermining the Premier League as a premium product of England. But at the same time, if you talk to the Premier League after the recent gathering, they would have had a substantial amount of confidence -and, actually, they have been telling us in private they have a significant confidence."
Ideological Links
The regulator remains subject to a "comprehensive investigation" by the official appointments authority after he revealed he contributed money to the opposition group in 2020.
The official donated money to Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Lisa Nandy's leadership campaign, along with that of the current Prime Minister.
"I've been completely open about my past party membership [with Labour], and that party membership ceased the day the parliamentary committee confirmed my selection," the chairman stated.
"I am presently disconnected from any type of partisan engagement."
