'Our role is integral to football's future' - independent football regulator David Kogan
Sheffield Wednesday's ongoing struggles represent a a "major concern" and the independent regulator is seeking powers to investigate clubs in similar circumstances, its new chair the regulator has announced.
Through a comprehensive talk, the chairman, who was appointed on Monday, voiced concern towards Wednesday's fanbase.
The regulator engaged with four fan organizations representing the Championship side recently.
The team have been experiencing difficulties in multiple areas in 2025, with the club missing wage payments on five separate occasions, including in September.
"Obviously the club has become a significant problem for EFL and a major challenge for the sport," the regulator explained.
"Wednesday stands as one of the great brands for the English game and this week we have met fan representatives.
"Our aim is to acquire the ability... which will permit us to bring Sheffield Wednesday - and other clubs submitted for our review if they require examination and addressed."
Economic Challenges and Leadership Concerns
The club's controversial proprietor Dejphon Chansiri stated during the off-season he would be open to selling the club at the stadium, but he has been unable to finalize an agreement with prospective buyers.
Delayed salary payments on time in earlier this year caused limitations by the league officials in summer, preventing the club from carrying out any transfers or loans for the next three transfer windows, although those limitations were removed in late summer.
Regulator's Perspective
The regulator explained: "The job [of the regulator] is there for the supporters of Wednesday, teams facing challenges where people are committed to a local institution that has been part of their lives in many cases.
"I have absolute sympathy for the club's situation, as I do for each organization that over recent decades have faced collapse, or approached financial ruin, for reasons that have nothing to do with the fans themselves."
When asked if the authority might compel an owner to sell a club if they are considered unfit, the regulator answered: "If your question is 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the reply is once we gather the evidence and understand the situation, 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 cooperate with proprietors.
"The final option we would consider is start getting involved with an particular organization, an specific proprietor, without having the opportunity to collaborate with that chairman to fix the problems affecting the organization and the owner's facing," Kogan said.
"But the truth is, when you look back over the history of the sport, over the past few decades there have been some owners, few in number, but particular people who have shown negligence in the manner they have operated their teams and eventually decline to assume obligation for the long-term prospects."
Sheffield Wednesday supporters have been protesting against the team's chairman during the current campaign
'Errors may undo substantial development'
The chairman convened with representatives from 110 clubs to detail the scope of the authority recently and insisted it was a "progressive gathering" with a "significant participation" from the lower divisions to the top flight.
"This position carries substantial significance, because if errors are made, if the sport makes errors, the remarkable development accomplished could disappear incredibly quickly," Kogan said.
"This represents everyone's worst fear in the terms of English football is a substantial accomplishment - we must maintain momentum.
"There's an enormous amount of money entering the sport and has been invested for the past two decades, because there are no assurances it will continue to come into football, which is one of the reasons why I think we have to adopt a precise perspective on potential dangers and naturally, of the next two or three years."
Top Flight Apprehensions
The Premier League opposed the formation of an authority because of concerns about detrimental effects on the top-flight's competitiveness, but Kogan said: "I fully support the success and growth as an financial organization of the elite league.
"Being fully aware of the concern of undermining the top flight as an elite competition of this country. But simultaneously, if you consult with top flight officials after this week's discussion, they would have had a significant degree of comfort -and, actually, they have been informing us confidentially they have a high level of reassurance."
Partisan Associations
Kogan is still facing a "thorough examination" by the official appointments authority after he acknowledged providing funds to the political party in recent years.
The chairman contributed funds to Culture Secretary the minister's leadership bid, along with that of the now Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
"I have been entirely transparent regarding my past party membership [with Labour], and that party membership ceased the day the official body endorsed my nomination," Kogan said.
"I am presently disconnected from any sort of politics."
