'Our role is integral to football's future' - football oversight chief David Kogan
Sheffield Wednesday's current difficulties constitute a "major concern" and the football regulator is seeking powers to investigate clubs in similar circumstances, its new chair the regulator has declared.
During an extensive discussion, Kogan, who was named to the position this week, voiced concern towards supporters of the Owls.
The chairman convened with four supporter groups associated with the Championship side recently.
The football club have been struggling on and off the field in 2025, with the club failing to pay players on time on multiple instances, including in September.
"Clearly Sheffield Wednesday has been a significant problem for EFL and a substantial concern for English football," the regulator explained.
"Wednesday stands as one of the great brands for the English game and this week we have met fan representatives.
"Our aim is to acquire the ability... which will permit us to bring Wednesday and comparable cases referred to us if they need to be investigated and dealt with."
Monetary Issues and Leadership Concerns
The team's struggling chairman the current owner suggested earlier this year he would be willing to sell up at Hillsborough, but he has been unable to finalize an agreement with interested parties.
Missed wage deadlines on time in March and May led to sanctions by the football authorities in mid-year, blocking the team from conducting any recruitment activities for the next three transfer windows, although the ban was rescinded in the end of the transfer window.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: "Our role exists to serve the supporters of Wednesday, Bury or any football club where people are committed to a local institution that has existed throughout their lifetimes in numerous instances.
"I fully appreciate the team's plight, as I do for every team that in modern times have encountered failure, or nearly ceased operations, for reasons that have nothing to do with the followers."
When asked if the authority might compel an proprietor to divest a club if they are judged inappropriate, the regulator answered: "When asking whether 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the answer is once we assemble the facts and understand the situation, we will."
But the regulator clarified that requiring chairmen to relinquish clubs would be viewed as the ultimate measure and the oversight body would choose to work with them.
"The last thing what we want to do is commence engagement with an specific team, an particular chairman, 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.
"In actuality, when you review the record of the game, over the last 20 or 30 years there have been certain proprietors, not many, but particular people who have shown negligence in the approach they have taken toward their teams and eventually don't wish to take responsibility for the future."
Owls fans have been protesting against the team's chairman in recent months
'If we get it wrong, extraordinary progress vanishes'
The chairman convened with delegates from multiple organizations to detail the scope of the authority recently and maintained it represented a "forward-thinking discussion" with a "substantial involvement" from the National League to the Premier League.
"It's a job that's actually really important, because if errors are made, if the football community fails, the significant advances achieved might evaporate swiftly," the chairman stated.
"Such an outcome is universally undesirable in the terms of English football is a huge success story - we've got to keep it going.
"Considerable investment coming into football and has been invested for the last 20 or 25 years, because there are no assurances 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."
Elite Division Worries
Top flight officials resisted the formation of an authority because of apprehensions regarding adverse consequences on the Premier League's sporting equality, but Kogan said: "I'm absolutely committed to the prosperity and expansion as an economic entity of the Premier League.
"Being fully aware of the concern of undermining the division as a high-quality offering of the nation. But at the same time, if you consult with top flight officials after this week's discussion, they would have had a significant degree of comfort -and, in fact, they have been advising us privately they have a high level of reassurance."
Partisan Associations
Kogan is still facing a "comprehensive investigation" by the public appointments commissioner after he disclosed making donations to the political party in the past.
The 68-year-old contributed funds to government minister Lisa Nandy's leadership campaign, along with that of the now Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
"I've been completely open about my former ideological connection [with Labour], and that party membership ceased the day the official body endorsed my nomination," Kogan said.
"I am no longer involved in any form of political activity."
