'We will play a key role in football's future' - football oversight chief David Kogan
The Championship club's ongoing struggles are seen as a "major concern" and the new football authority is looking to gain the ability to investigate clubs in comparable cases, the recently named head the regulator has stated.
In a wide-ranging interview, Kogan, who was named to the position this week, expressed "sympathy" towards Wednesday's fanbase.
The chairman convened with four supporter groups associated with 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.
"Clearly Sheffield Wednesday has been a serious issue for football authorities and a substantial concern for English football," the chairman stated.
"Sheffield Wednesday is one of the great brands for football in England and this week we have met fan representatives.
"Our aim is to acquire the ability... which will allow us to have Wednesday and comparable cases submitted for our review if they need to be investigated and addressed."
Monetary Issues and Proprietorship Status
The club's controversial proprietor the Thai businessman stated during the off-season 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 resulted in restrictions being imposed by the football authorities in June, blocking the team from conducting any transfers or loans for the subsequent signing windows, although that restriction was lifted in late summer.
Authority's Position
Kogan said: "Our role exists to serve the Owls followers, Bury or any football club where supporters are loyal to a local institution that has represented their community in multiple situations.
"I have absolute sympathy for the team's plight, as I do for every team that in modern times have encountered failure, or been close to going to the wall, for factors unrelated to the followers."
When asked if the regulator could force 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 response would be once we assemble the facts 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 collaborate with owners.
"The last thing what we want to do is commence engagement with an individual club, an specific proprietor, without having the opportunity to collaborate with that owner to try and resolve the challenges confronting the team and the chairman's encountering," Kogan said.
"However, realistically, when you review the record of football, over the recent generations there have been certain proprietors, a small minority, but some who have been irresponsible in the way which they've been managing their clubs and ultimately decline to assume obligation for the coming years."
Wednesday followers have been protesting against owner Dejphon Chansiri in recent months
'If we get it wrong, extraordinary progress vanishes'
The chairman convened with officials from numerous teams to explain the responsibilities of the oversight body this week and stated it constituted a "progressive gathering" with a "substantial involvement" from the lower divisions to the top flight.
"The role holds considerable importance, because if errors are made, if the sport makes errors, the significant advances achieved might evaporate swiftly," Kogan said.
"Such an outcome is universally undesirable in the context of the English game is a huge success story - we've got to keep it going.
"Considerable investment entering the sport and has come into football for the recent generations, 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 challenges and obviously, of the immediate future."
Top Flight Apprehensions
Top flight officials resisted the creation of a regulator because of concerns about detrimental effects on the Premier League's sporting equality, but Kogan said: "I fully support the success and growth as an economic entity of the Premier League.
"Being fully aware of the concern of undermining the Premier League as a premium product of the nation. But concurrently, if you consult with top flight officials after this week's discussion, they would have had a high level of reassurance -and, actually, they have been informing us confidentially they have a significant confidence."
Partisan Associations
The chairman continues to confront a "thorough examination" by the public appointments commissioner after he acknowledged providing funds to the political party in recent years.
The official donated money to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy's leadership campaign, along with that of the government leader.
"I've been completely open about my previous political affiliation [with Labour], and that party membership ceased the day the official body endorsed my nomination," Kogan said.
"I am no longer involved in any form of political activity."
