New Independent Football Regulator (IFR) chairman David Kogan has promised that ‘change is coming’ as he takes on one of the most influential roles in the modern game.
Kogan has been in his role for less than a week but has already promised to make sweeping changes to how English football operates.
He plans to implement more thorough ownership tests and deeper checks on club finances.
Resolving the long-standing feud between the Premier League and the English Football League (EFL) is also on his bucket list.
Kogan has made it clear that English football is about to enter a new era.
He officially began his tenure by addressing every club across the Premier League, the EFL and the National League at a conference at the National Football Museum in Manchester.
Kogan has received plenty of support from key figures in the game, including Premier League chief executive Richard Masters.
Masters was opposed to an IFR, but Kogan admitted it was time for everyone to put their differences aside, aiming a sly dig at the Premier League chief, saying he ‘lost the battle’.
Kogan now wants representatives from each level of English football, including EFL chairman Rick Parry, to work together to improve the game.
He wants to start by looking into controversial Sheffield Wednesday owner Dejphon Chansiri to save the fans from reckless leadership.
“Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest clubs in the country,” Kogan told FSA. “Sheffield Wednesday were also a founder club of the Premier League, which people forget.
“Sheffield Wednesday is not simply a club that is in difficulty. Sheffield Wednesday is a fundamental part of the fabric of football in this country.
“Clearly, anybody who’s interested in football, certainly the chair of the IFR, has a direct interest in ensuring that Sheffield Wednesday is given as much protection as possible.
“The moment that legislation goes through (parliament), we get our powers, we have the right then to investigate any club about which we have concerns.
“We have concerns in this particular case (Wednesday). We have the authority and power to take direct action about the ownership of the club.”
