'We are going to be a part of football's future' - football oversight chief the regulator's chair
The team's current difficulties represent a a "major concern" and the football regulator is seeking powers to examine team situations in such situations, the newly appointed chairman the regulator has stated.
In a wide-ranging interview, Kogan, who was named to the position this week, showed understanding towards Wednesday's fanbase.
The regulator engaged with four fan organizations representing the Championship side in recent days.
The football club have been struggling on and off the field in 2025, with the club missing wage payments on multiple instances, including in the autumn.
"Obviously the club has become a serious issue for football authorities and a major challenge for the sport," the chairman stated.
"The club represents one of the historic institutions for football in England and in recent days we have met supporters' organizations.
"We are seeking authority... which will enable us to take Wednesday and comparable cases submitted for our review if they warrant scrutiny and addressed."
Economic Challenges and Leadership Concerns
The club's controversial proprietor Dejphon Chansiri suggested earlier this year he would be open to selling the club at their home ground, but he has failed to complete a sale with potential new owners.
Delayed salary payments on time in March and May resulted in restrictions being imposed by the league officials in mid-year, preventing the club from carrying out any recruitment activities for the following recruitment periods, although those limitations were removed in August.
Official's Viewpoint
Kogan said: "The position was created for the supporters of Wednesday, Bury or any football club where fans are dedicated to a regional establishment that has represented their community in multiple situations.
"I fully appreciate the team's plight, as I do for all the clubs that in modern times have encountered failure, or approached financial ruin, for factors unrelated to the followers."
Inquired if the oversight body could require an proprietor to divest 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 requiring chairmen to relinquish clubs would be viewed as the ultimate measure and the authority would rather to work with them.
"Our least desirable course of action is commence engagement with an particular organization, an particular chairman, without being able to work with that chairman to fix the challenges confronting the team and the chairman's encountering," Kogan said.
"However, realistically, when you review the record of the sport, over the past few decades there have been particular chairmen, not many, but some who have been irresponsible in the approach they have taken toward their organizations and finally decline to assume obligation for the long-term prospects."
Owls fans have been voicing opposition to the team's chairman in recent months
'Errors may undo substantial development'
The regulator engaged representatives from 110 clubs to explain the responsibilities of the authority recently and maintained it represented a "proactive meeting" with a "substantial involvement" from the grassroots to elite level.
"It's a job that's actually really important, because if errors are made, if the world of football gets it wrong, the significant advances achieved might evaporate rapidly," Kogan said.
"This represents everyone's worst fear in the realm of domestic football is a huge success story - we must maintain momentum.
"Substantial financial resources entering the sport and has been channeled for the past two decades, 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 risk and of course, of the immediate future."
Elite Division Worries
Top flight officials resisted the formation of an authority because of fears of a negative impact on the Premier League's sporting equality, but the chairman responded: "I fully support the prosperity and expansion as an financial organization of the Premier League.
"Being fully aware of the concern of undermining the division as a high-quality offering of the nation. But concurrently, if you engage with division representatives after today's meeting, they would have had a substantial amount of confidence -and, actually, they have been telling us in private they have a considerable comfort."
Ideological Links
Kogan is still facing a "full inquiry" by the Commissioner for Public Appointments after he acknowledged providing funds to the opposition group in recent years.
The 68-year-old provided financial support for 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 political affiliation came to an end the day the select committee approved my appointment," the regulator explained.
"I am no longer involved in any sort of politics."
