'We will play a key role in football's future' - independent football regulator the new chairman
The Championship club's persistent issues constitute a "major concern" and the football regulator is seeking powers to look into club affairs in such situations, its new chair David Kogan has stated.
In a wide-ranging interview, the regulator, who was recently selected, expressed "sympathy" towards supporters of the Owls.
The regulator engaged with four supporters' associations associated with the South Yorkshire club this week.
The Championship side have been struggling on and off the field in 2025, with the club failing to pay players on time on multiple instances, including in last month.
"Obviously the club has become a serious issue for football authorities and a substantial concern for English football," Kogan told.
"Sheffield Wednesday is one of the historic institutions for football in England and this week we have met supporters' organizations.
"We're now looking to get powers... which will enable us to take Wednesday and comparable cases submitted for our review if they warrant scrutiny and dealt with."
Economic Challenges and Ownership Situation
Wednesday's embattled owner the Thai businessman suggested earlier this year he would be willing to sell up at their home ground, but he has failed to complete a sale with interested parties.
Missed wage deadlines on time in March and May resulted in restrictions being imposed by the football authorities in June, blocking the team from conducting any player acquisitions for the subsequent signing windows, although the ban was rescinded in late summer.
Regulator's Perspective
The chairman stated: "Our role exists to serve the Owls followers, other clubs in similar situations where people are committed to a local institution that has existed throughout their lifetimes in numerous instances.
"I completely understand the team's plight, as I do for every team that since 1992 have gone to the wall, or approached financial ruin, for reasons that have nothing to do with the followers."
Inquired if the regulator could force an owner to sell a club if they are deemed unsuitable, Kogan said: "If your question is 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the response would be once we gather the evidence and understand the situation, we will."
But Kogan stressed that compelling proprietors to divest clubs would be treated as a "last resort" and the regulator would prefer to work with them.
"The last thing what we want to do is commence engagement with an individual club, an individual owner, without being able to work with that chairman to fix the issues that the club's facing and the proprietor's dealing with," Kogan said.
"But the truth is, when you review the record of football, over the recent generations there have been some owners, few in number, but particular people who have shown negligence in the approach they have taken toward their teams and eventually refuse to accept accountability for the coming years."
Sheffield Wednesday supporters have been demonstrating against owner Dejphon Chansiri during the current campaign
'Mistakes could erase significant advances'
The regulator engaged delegates from multiple organizations to explain the responsibilities of the authority recently and maintained it represented a "proactive meeting" with a "significant participation" from the lower divisions to the top flight.
"The role holds considerable importance, because should mistakes occur, if the football community fails, the remarkable development accomplished could disappear incredibly quickly," the chairman stated.
"This represents everyone's worst fear in the context of the English game is a huge success story - we've got to keep it going.
"Considerable investment flowing into the game and has come into football for the past two decades, because there's no guarantee it will continue to come into football, which is one of the reasons why I think we have to maintain a focused outlook on potential dangers and naturally, of the immediate future."
Top Flight Apprehensions
Top flight officials resisted the establishment of an oversight body because of fears of a negative impact on the elite division's competitive balance, but Kogan said: "I completely endorse the success and growth as an economic entity of the Premier League.
"I of all people understand the worry about compromising the top flight as an elite competition of this country. But simultaneously, if you consult with top flight officials after the recent gathering, they would have had a high level of reassurance -and, actually, they have been telling us in private they have a considerable comfort."
Ideological Links
The chairman continues to confront a "comprehensive investigation" by the public appointments commissioner after he revealed he contributed money to the opposition group in 2020.
The 68-year-old contributed funds to Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport the minister's leadership bid, along with that of the now Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
"I've been completely open about my past party membership [with Labour], and that ideological connection terminated the day the official body endorsed my nomination," Kogan said.
"I am no longer involved in any sort of politics."
