🔗 Share this article

Sheffield Wednesday's ongoing struggles constitute a "major concern" and the new football authority is looking to gain the ability to look into club affairs in similar circumstances, its new chair the regulator has announced.

Through a comprehensive talk, Kogan, who was appointed on Monday, voiced concern towards supporters of the Owls.

The chairman convened with four supporters' associations connected to the South Yorkshire club this week.

The Championship side have been facing challenges both on and off the pitch in 2025, with the club missing wage payments on multiple instances, including in the autumn.

"Evidently Wednesday represents a serious issue for football authorities and a significant problem for football," Kogan told.

"Wednesday stands as one of the great brands for football in England and recently we have met fan representatives.

"Our aim is to acquire the ability... which will allow us to have Wednesday and comparable cases referred to us if they need to be investigated and addressed."

Economic Challenges and Proprietorship Status

The team's struggling chairman the current owner indicated in the summer he would be open to selling the club at the stadium, but he has failed to complete a sale with prospective buyers.

Delayed salary payments on time in spring months led to sanctions by the league officials in June, blocking the team from conducting any recruitment activities for the next three transfer windows, although the ban was rescinded in the end of the transfer window.

Authority's Position

The chairman stated: "The position was created for the fans of Sheffield Wednesday, other clubs in similar situations where supporters are loyal to a community organization that has existed throughout their lifetimes in multiple situations.

"I fully appreciate the team's plight, as I do for all the clubs that over recent decades have faced collapse, or been close to going to the wall, for reasons that have nothing to do with the supporters."

When asked if the oversight body could require an owner to sell a club if they are judged inappropriate, Kogan said: "If your question is 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the reply is once we gather the evidence and know what's going on, 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 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 owner to try and resolve the problems affecting the organization and the owner's facing," the regulator explained.

"However, realistically, when you look back over the history of the game, over the last 20 or 30 years there have been some owners, few in number, but certain individuals who have acted carelessly in the way which they've been managing their clubs and ultimately refuse to accept accountability for the coming years."

'Errors may undo substantial development'

Kogan met with delegates from multiple organizations to detail the scope of the oversight body this week and stated it constituted a "proactive meeting" with a "significant participation" from the grassroots to elite level.

"It's a job that's actually really important, because if we get it wrong, if the sport makes errors, the extraordinary progress that's been made might evaporate swiftly," Kogan said.

"Such an outcome is universally undesirable in the context of the English game is a substantial accomplishment - we've got to keep it going.

"Substantial financial resources entering the sport and has come into football for the recent generations, because there are no assurances it will persist in entering the game, which is among the factors explaining I think we have to adopt a precise perspective on potential dangers and naturally, of the immediate future."

Premier League Concerns

Top flight officials resisted the creation of a regulator because of concerns about detrimental effects on the Premier League's sporting equality, but the regulator stated: "I'm absolutely committed to the success and growth as an economic entity of the Premier League.

"I of all people understand the concern of undermining the division as a high-quality offering of England. But simultaneously, if you talk to the Premier League after today's meeting, they would have had a substantial amount of confidence -and, actually, they have been informing us confidentially they have a high level of reassurance."

Political Connections

The chairman continues to confront a "full inquiry" by the official appointments authority after he revealed he contributed money to the Labour Party in 2020.

The official contributed funds to government minister Lisa Nandy's leadership campaign, along with that of the government leader.

"I have been entirely transparent regarding my previous political affiliation [with Labour], and that ideological connection terminated the day the select committee approved my appointment," Kogan said.

"I am presently disconnected from any form of political activity."