New Football Regulator has its first Chair and sets its sights on the drama in Sheffield. The Independent Football Regulator (IFR) for England is a step closer to launching with the recent appointment of David Kogan OBE as its first Chair, but the appointment has already landed the IFR in controversy.
Kogan’s qualifications for the £130,000 a year part time role (3 days a week) are hard to question. Over a 45-year career he has held senior positions in the television and sports industries and has negotiated multi-billion-pound TV rights deals for the Premier League and English Football League. He has also acted as a corporate advisor for UEFA, Six Nations, NFL and Premier Rugby, and recently sold the rights for the Woman’s Super League.
Despite his impeccable and relevant CV, Kogan’s appointment is subject to an ongoing inquiry led by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. The issue at the heart of the inquiry is Mr Kogan’s political activity and whether this has influenced his appointment. Kogan made donations to Labour Party candidates over the last three years and also acted as Chair of Labour List, an independent website covering the Labour movement.
With the role of Chair of IFR being an independent, nonpartisan position, his links to the government are being closely scrutinised, and an historic donation to Lisa Nandy, current Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, resulted in Nandy removing herself from the final decision on Kogan’s appointment.
More pertinent to his new role, Kogan has immediately become involved in the ongoing drama surrounding Sheffield Wednesday, stating publicly that the IFR would have the power to force unsuitable owners to sell a club ‘as a last resort’. Kogan expressed his sympathy with what is happening at Wednesday, and in the first week after his appointment met with four separate supporter groups linked to the Yorkshire club.
Sheffield Wednesday is in a mess, with the owner Dejphon Chansiri reportedly looking to sell, but setting a sale price way above the market. In the last seven months the club has failed to pay wages on time on five occasions, with September’s pay packet being the most recent to be delayed. This has resulted in restrictions being imposed by the English Football League, including player transfers and loans, which in turn has impacted the team on the pitch, with the club sitting second to last in the Championship with one win from nine. The only consolation for Owls fans is that bottom spot is currently occupied by bitter rivals Sheffield United.
Kogan has already met with representatives from 110 football clubs to lay out the remit for the IFR. The 68-year-old has reiterated how much football is crying out for a regulator, and that time is of the essence, hence the reason his appointment was triggered before the inquiry was completed.
Assuming he gets the all clear from the inquiry, it looks like a shrewd move for him, and the IFR, to focus on what is happening at Wednesday, and use the situation as an example of the power and effectiveness that the new Regulator will have. In terms of issues, it is very low-hanging fruit, with a definite villain (Chansiri) and hero (fans). Resolving the problem would provide the IFR with some much-needed early kudos as well as credit in the bank moving forward as it looks to tackle some more contentious issues in the sport.
David Little is a Partner at Bishop & Sewell in our expert Sports Law and Corporate & Commercial teams.
If you would like to contact him, please call on either 07968 027343 or 020 7631 4141 or email: company@bishopandsewell.co.uk.
The above is accurate as at 17 October 2025.
The information above may be subject to change. The content of this note should not be considered legal advice, and each matter should be considered on a case-by-case basis.
