'Our role is integral to football's future' - independent football regulator David Kogan
The Championship club's persistent issues constitute a "major concern" and the new football authority is looking to gain the ability to look into club affairs in similar circumstances, the newly appointed chairman David Kogan has declared.
In a wide-ranging interview, the chairman, who was named to the position this week, expressed "sympathy" towards Wednesday's fanbase.
The regulator engaged with four supporters' associations connected to the football team 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 serious issue for football authorities and a significant problem for football," the regulator explained.
"The club represents one of the great brands for English football and in recent days we have met fan representatives.
"Our aim is to acquire the ability... which will enable us to take Sheffield Wednesday - and other clubs brought to our attention if they need to be investigated and dealt with."
Economic Challenges and Proprietorship Status
The club's controversial proprietor the Thai businessman stated during the off-season he would be prepared to relinquish control at Hillsborough, but he has failed to complete a sale with interested parties.
Delayed salary payments on time in March and May caused limitations by the league officials in mid-year, preventing the club from carrying out any player acquisitions for the subsequent signing windows, although that restriction was lifted in August.
Authority's Position
The chairman stated: "The position was created for the supporters of Wednesday, teams facing challenges where fans are dedicated to a local institution that has represented their community in numerous instances.
"I have absolute sympathy for the club's situation, as I do for every team that in modern times have encountered failure, or approached financial ruin, for reasons that have nothing to do with the followers."
Inquired if the authority might compel an owner to sell a club if they are considered unfit, the chairman responded: "If your question is 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the response would be 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 regulator would prefer to work with them.
"The last thing what we want to do is start getting involved with an specific team, an individual owner, without being able to work with that chairman to fix the issues that the club's facing and the owner's facing," the chairman stated.
"But the truth is, when you look back over the history of the game, over the last 20 or 30 years there have been particular chairmen, not many, but certain individuals who have acted carelessly in the manner they have operated their clubs and ultimately don't wish to take responsibility for the coming years."
Owls fans have been voicing opposition to the current proprietor during the current campaign
'Errors may undo substantial development'
The regulator engaged officials from numerous teams to lay out the remit of the authority recently and maintained it represented a "progressive gathering" with a "substantial involvement" from the lower divisions to the top flight.
"It's a job that's actually really important, because if we get it wrong, if the football community fails, the remarkable development accomplished necessary will vanish rapidly," the regulator warned.
"And that's what nobody wants in the context of the English game is a major achievement - we must maintain momentum.
"Considerable investment coming into football and has been channeled for the recent generations, because there are no assurances it will continue to come into football, which is part of the rationale behind I think we have to take a really clear view on risk and of course, of the next two or three years."
Elite Division Worries
The Premier League opposed the establishment of an oversight body because of fears of a negative impact on the Premier League's sporting equality, but Kogan said: "I completely endorse the prosperity and expansion as an financial organization of the elite league.
"Being fully aware of the concern of undermining the division as a high-quality offering of the nation. But concurrently, if you talk to the Premier League after this week's discussion, they would have had a significant degree of comfort -and, in fact, they have been telling us in private they have a significant confidence."
Partisan Associations
The regulator remains subject to a "thorough examination" by the Commissioner for Public Appointments after he disclosed making donations to the Labour Party in 2020.
The chairman provided financial support for Culture Secretary the minister's leadership bid, along with that of the now Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
"I have fully disclosed my previous political affiliation [with Labour], and that political affiliation came to an end the day the parliamentary committee confirmed my selection," the chairman stated.
"I am no longer involved in any type of partisan engagement."
