'We are going to be a part of football's future' - independent football regulator the regulator's chair
The Championship club's ongoing struggles represent a a "serious issue" and the football regulator is seeking powers to examine team situations in comparable cases, its new chair David Kogan has stated.
During an extensive discussion, Kogan, who was appointed on Monday, showed understanding towards supporters of the Owls.
The chairman convened with four supporters' associations representing the football team in recent days.
The football club have been struggling on and off the field in 2025, with the club failing to pay players on time on multiple instances, including in the autumn.
"Obviously the club has become a major concern for the league and a major challenge for the sport," the chairman stated.
"Sheffield Wednesday is one of the historic institutions for football in England and this week we have met supporters' organizations.
"We're now looking to get powers... which will enable us to take Sheffield Wednesday - and other clubs submitted for our review if they need to be investigated and addressed."
Economic Challenges and Leadership Concerns
Wednesday's embattled owner Dejphon Chansiri suggested earlier this year he would be prepared to relinquish control at Hillsborough, but he has not been able to secure a deal with prospective buyers.
Missed wage deadlines on time in spring months led to sanctions by the English Football League (EFL) in summer, preventing the club from carrying out any recruitment activities for the following recruitment periods, although the ban was rescinded in late summer.
Authority's Position
The chairman stated: "The position was created for the Owls followers, teams facing challenges where people are committed to a local institution that has existed throughout their lifetimes in many cases.
"I have absolute sympathy for the club's situation, 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 judged inappropriate, Kogan said: "Should the inquiry concern 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the response would be once we collect the information and understand the situation, we will."
But Kogan stressed that forcing owners to sell clubs would be treated as a "last resort" and the oversight body would choose to collaborate with owners.
"The final option we would consider is start getting involved with an specific team, an specific proprietor, without being able to work with that proprietor to address the challenges confronting the team and the chairman's encountering," the chairman stated.
"In actuality, when you examine the past of the game, over the recent generations there have been certain proprietors, a small minority, but some who have been irresponsible in the approach they have taken toward their organizations and finally refuse to accept accountability for the long-term prospects."
Owls fans have been voicing opposition to owner Dejphon Chansiri this season
'Mistakes could erase significant advances'
The chairman convened with delegates from multiple organizations to detail the scope of the authority recently and insisted it was a "forward-thinking discussion" with a "significant participation" from the grassroots to elite level.
"It's a job that's actually really important, because should mistakes occur, if the football community fails, the significant advances achieved might evaporate incredibly quickly," the regulator warned.
"Such an outcome is universally undesirable in the context of the English game is a major achievement - we need to continue the progress.
"Considerable investment entering the sport and has been channeled for the last 20 or 25 years, because there's no guarantee it will keep flowing into the sport, which is one of the reasons why I think we have to maintain a focused outlook on risk and of course, of the immediate future."
Elite Division Worries
Elite division representatives objected to the creation of a regulator because of apprehensions regarding adverse consequences on the Premier League's sporting equality, but Kogan said: "I'm absolutely committed to the success and growth as an economic entity of the elite league.
"Being fully aware of the worry about compromising the top flight as an elite competition of this country. But at the same time, if you engage with division representatives after today's meeting, they would have had a substantial amount of confidence -and, in fact, they have been advising us privately they have a high level of reassurance."
Political Connections
The regulator remains subject to a "full inquiry" by the public appointments commissioner after he acknowledged providing funds to the political party in recent years.
The 68-year-old donated money to Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport the minister's leadership bid, along with that of the current Prime Minister.
"I have been entirely transparent regarding my past party membership [with Labour], and that political affiliation came to an end the day the select committee approved my appointment," the chairman stated.
"I currently have no participation in any type of partisan engagement."
