'Our role is integral to football's future' - football oversight chief the new chairman
Sheffield Wednesday's persistent issues are seen as a "major concern" and the football regulator is seeking powers to investigate clubs in similar circumstances, its new chair the official has announced.
During an extensive discussion, Kogan, who was recently selected, showed understanding towards the club's followers.
The regulator engaged with four supporters' associations representing the football team in recent days.
The Championship side have been facing challenges both on and off the pitch in 2025, with the club failing to pay players on time on several different times, including in September.
"Evidently Wednesday represents a significant problem for EFL and a substantial concern for English football," the regulator explained.
"The club represents one of the great brands for English football and in recent days we have met Sheffield Wednesday supporters' groups.
"We're now looking to get powers... which will enable us to take Sheffield Wednesday - and other clubs brought to our attention if they need to be investigated and acted upon."
Economic Challenges and Proprietorship Status
The club's controversial proprietor the current owner stated during the off-season he would be willing to sell up at Hillsborough, but he has failed to complete a sale with prospective buyers.
Delayed salary payments on time in March and May resulted in restrictions being imposed by the football authorities in June, stopping Wednesday from completing any transfers or loans for the subsequent signing windows, although that restriction was lifted in late summer.
Regulator's Perspective
The chairman stated: "Our role exists to serve the fans of Sheffield Wednesday, teams facing challenges where supporters are loyal to a community organization that has been part of their lives in numerous instances.
"I completely understand Sheffield Wednesday, as I do for each organization that since 1992 have gone to the wall, or been close to going to the wall, for factors unrelated to the fans themselves."
Inquired if the authority might compel an owner to sell a club if they are judged inappropriate, the regulator answered: "If your question is 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the answer is once we collect the information and comprehend the circumstances, we will."
But Kogan stressed that compelling proprietors to divest clubs would be considered the final option and the authority would rather to collaborate with owners.
"The last thing what we want to do is begin intervening in an specific team, an specific proprietor, without being able to work with that chairman to fix the issues that the club's facing and the proprietor's dealing with," the regulator explained.
"But the truth is, when you examine the past of the game, over the last 20 or 30 years there have been particular chairmen, a small minority, but certain individuals who have acted carelessly in the approach they have taken toward their teams and eventually decline to assume obligation for the coming years."
Sheffield Wednesday supporters have been voicing opposition to the team's chairman this season
'Errors may undo substantial development'
The chairman convened with representatives from 110 clubs to explain the responsibilities of the oversight body this week and stated it constituted a "progressive gathering" 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 world of football gets it wrong, the remarkable development accomplished might evaporate incredibly quickly," the chairman stated.
"Such an outcome is universally undesirable in the context of the English game is a major achievement - we need to continue the progress.
"There's an enormous amount of money coming into football and has been invested for the past two decades, because there's no guarantee it will persist in entering the game, which is among the factors explaining I think we have to take a really clear view on potential dangers and naturally, of the immediate future."
Premier League Concerns
Elite division representatives objected to the formation of an authority because of apprehensions regarding adverse consequences on the elite division's competitive balance, but the regulator stated: "I fully support the achievement and development as an economic entity of the top division.
"Being fully aware of the apprehension regarding damaging the division as a high-quality offering of England. But at the same time, if you engage with division representatives after the recent gathering, they would have had a high level of reassurance -and, actually, they have been informing us confidentially they have a considerable comfort."
Political Connections
The regulator remains subject to a "comprehensive investigation" by the Commissioner for Public Appointments after he acknowledged providing funds to the political party in the past.
The chairman donated money to Culture Secretary the minister's leadership bid, along with that of the now Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
"I've been completely open about my previous political affiliation [with Labour], and that party membership ceased the day the parliamentary committee confirmed my selection," Kogan said.
"I am presently disconnected from any sort of politics."
