'We will play a key role in football's future' - independent football regulator David Kogan
The Championship club's current difficulties represent a a "serious issue" and the football regulator is aiming to acquire authority to look into club affairs in comparable cases, its new chair David Kogan has stated.
In a wide-ranging interview, the chairman, who was appointed on Monday, expressed "sympathy" towards supporters of the Owls.
The chairman convened with four supporter groups representing the football team this week.
The football club have been struggling on and off the field in 2025, with the club missing wage payments on several different times, including in last month.
"Clearly Sheffield Wednesday has been a major concern for the league and a significant problem for football," the regulator explained.
"Wednesday stands as one of the historic institutions for football in England and recently we have met Sheffield Wednesday supporters' groups.
"We're now looking to get powers... which will enable us to take Wednesday and comparable cases brought to our attention if they need to be investigated and acted upon."
Economic Challenges and Ownership Situation
The club's controversial proprietor the Thai businessman stated during the off-season he would be open to selling the club at Hillsborough, but he has been unable to finalize an agreement with interested parties.
Delayed salary payments on time in spring months caused limitations by the league officials in mid-year, stopping Wednesday from completing any recruitment activities for the next three transfer windows, although that restriction was lifted in the end of the transfer window.
Regulator's Perspective
Kogan said: "The position was created for the supporters of Wednesday, Bury or any football club where supporters are loyal to a local institution that has been part of their lives in multiple situations.
"I have absolute sympathy for Sheffield Wednesday, as I do for every team that over recent decades have faced collapse, or been close to going to the wall, for factors unrelated to the followers."
Inquired if the regulator could force an proprietor to divest a club if they are considered unfit, Kogan said: "If your question is 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the reply is once we collect the information and understand the situation, we will."
But the chairman emphasized that forcing owners to sell clubs would be treated as a "last resort" and the authority would rather 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 in a position to cooperate with that proprietor to address the challenges confronting the team and the owner's facing," the regulator explained.
"But the truth is, when you review the record of football, over the last 20 or 30 years there have been some owners, few in number, but particular people who have shown negligence in the manner they have operated their clubs and ultimately don't wish to take responsibility for the coming years."
Owls fans have been protesting against the current proprietor this season
'Errors may undo substantial development'
The regulator engaged delegates from multiple organizations to explain the responsibilities of the authority recently and insisted it was a "proactive meeting" with a "substantial involvement" from the National League to the Premier League.
"The role holds considerable importance, because should mistakes occur, if the world of football gets it wrong, the extraordinary progress that's been made necessary will vanish swiftly," Kogan said.
"This represents everyone's worst fear in the terms of English football is a major achievement - we need to continue the progress.
"There's an enormous amount of money entering the sport and has been invested for the recent generations, because certainty is lacking it will continue to come into football, which is part of the rationale behind I think we have to maintain a focused outlook on challenges and obviously, of the next two or three years."
Top Flight Apprehensions
The Premier League opposed the formation of an authority because of fears of a negative impact on the elite division's competitive balance, but the regulator stated: "I'm absolutely committed to the achievement and development as an commercial operation of the top division.
"Being fully aware of the apprehension regarding damaging the division as a high-quality offering of the nation. But concurrently, if you consult with top flight officials after today's meeting, they would have had a high level of reassurance -and, indeed, they have been telling us in private they have a significant confidence."
Partisan Associations
Kogan is still facing a "full inquiry" by the official appointments authority after he revealed he contributed money to the Labour Party in 2020.
The chairman contributed funds to Culture Secretary the politician's campaign, along with that of the government leader.
"I have fully disclosed my former ideological connection [with Labour], and that political affiliation came to an end the day the official body endorsed my nomination," Kogan said.
"I am no longer involved in any type of partisan engagement."
