'We are going to be a part of football's future' - independent football regulator the regulator's chair
The Championship club's current difficulties are seen as a "significant problem" and the independent regulator is seeking powers to investigate clubs in similar circumstances, the newly appointed chairman David Kogan has declared.
In a wide-ranging interview, the regulator, who was named to the position this week, expressed "sympathy" towards Wednesday's fanbase.
The chairman convened with four fan organizations representing the Championship side recently.
The Championship side have been struggling on and off the field in 2025, with the club missing wage payments on several different times, including in the autumn.
"Evidently Wednesday represents a major concern for the league and a significant problem for football," the chairman stated.
"The club represents one of the iconic names 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 the club and similar situations brought to our attention if they need to be investigated and addressed."
Economic Challenges and Proprietorship Status
The team's struggling chairman the Thai businessman indicated in the summer he would be open to selling the club at their home ground, but he has been unable to finalize an agreement with interested parties.
Failure to pay player wages on time in earlier this year caused limitations by the English Football League (EFL) in June, preventing the club from carrying out any transfers or loans for the subsequent signing windows, although that restriction was lifted in the end of the transfer window.
Regulator's Perspective
Kogan said: "Our role exists to serve the Owls followers, other clubs in similar situations where people are committed to a community organization that has existed throughout their lifetimes in multiple situations.
"I have absolute sympathy for the team's plight, as I do for all the clubs that over recent decades have faced collapse, or nearly ceased operations, for reasons that have nothing to do with the followers."
Questioned about whether the authority might compel an owner to sell a club if they are deemed unsuitable, the chairman responded: "Should the inquiry concern 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the answer is once we collect the information and comprehend the circumstances, we will."
But the regulator clarified that forcing owners to sell clubs would be treated as a "last resort" and the regulator would prefer to cooperate with proprietors.
"The final option we would consider is begin intervening in an specific team, an individual owner, without being in a position to cooperate with that owner to try and resolve the challenges confronting the team and the chairman's encountering," Kogan said.
"However, realistically, when you look back over the history of the game, over the last 20 or 30 years there have been particular chairmen, not many, but certain individuals who have acted carelessly in the approach they have taken toward their teams and eventually decline to assume obligation for the future."
Owls fans have been demonstrating against the current proprietor in recent months
'Mistakes could erase significant advances'
Kogan met with delegates from multiple organizations to detail the scope of the oversight body this week and maintained it represented a "proactive meeting" with a "high level of engagement" from the grassroots to elite level.
"The role holds considerable importance, because if errors are made, if the world of football gets it wrong, the remarkable development accomplished might evaporate incredibly quickly," the chairman stated.
"This represents everyone's worst fear in the context of the English game is a major achievement - we need to continue the progress.
"Substantial financial resources flowing into the game and has been invested for the recent generations, because certainty is lacking it will persist in entering the game, which is one of the reasons why I think we have to maintain a focused outlook on potential dangers and naturally, of the next two or three years."
Top Flight Apprehensions
Top flight officials resisted the establishment of an oversight body because of apprehensions regarding adverse consequences on the top-flight's competitiveness, but the regulator stated: "I fully support the prosperity and expansion as an economic entity of the Premier League.
"As someone who appreciates the apprehension regarding damaging the division as a high-quality offering of England. But at the same time, if you consult with top flight officials after the recent gathering, they would have had a significant degree of comfort -and, indeed, they have been telling us in private they have a high level of reassurance."
Partisan Associations
The chairman continues to confront a "full inquiry" by the official appointments authority after he acknowledged providing funds to the Labour Party in 2020.
The 68-year-old provided financial support for Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport the politician's campaign, along with that of the now Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
"I have been entirely transparent regarding my past party membership [with Labour], and that political affiliation came to an end the day the parliamentary committee confirmed my selection," the chairman stated.
"I am presently disconnected from any type of partisan engagement."
