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Sheffield Wednesday's persistent issues constitute a "significant problem" and the football regulator is seeking powers to investigate clubs in such situations, its new chair the official has announced.

In a wide-ranging interview, the regulator, who was appointed on Monday, showed understanding towards Wednesday's fanbase.

The chairman convened with four supporter groups connected to the Championship side this week.

The team have been facing challenges both on and off the pitch in the current year, with the club failing to pay players on time on five separate occasions, including in the autumn.

"Obviously the club has become a major concern for the league and a substantial concern for English football," the chairman stated.

"Wednesday stands as one of the great brands for English football and in recent days we have met Sheffield Wednesday supporters' groups.

"We're now looking to get powers... which will allow us to have Sheffield Wednesday - and other clubs brought to our attention if they need to be investigated and dealt with."

Financial Struggles 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 interested parties.

Delayed salary payments 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 subsequent signing windows, although those limitations were removed in August.

Authority's Position

The chairman stated: "Our role exists to serve the fans of Sheffield Wednesday, other clubs in similar situations 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 each organization that since 1992 have gone to the wall, or nearly ceased operations, for reasons that have nothing to do with the supporters."

Questioned about whether the authority might compel an chairman to relinquish a club if they are considered unfit, Kogan said: "When asking whether 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the answer is once we collect the information and understand the situation, we will."

But Kogan stressed that compelling proprietors to divest clubs would be viewed as the ultimate measure and the authority would rather to cooperate with proprietors.

"The final option we would consider is commence engagement with an particular organization, an individual owner, without being able to work with that owner to try and resolve the issues that the club's facing and the owner's facing," the regulator explained.

"However, realistically, when you look back over the history of football, over the last 20 or 30 years there have been particular chairmen, not many, but particular people who have shown negligence in the way which they've been managing their teams and eventually refuse to accept accountability for the long-term prospects."

'If we get it wrong, extraordinary progress vanishes'

Kogan met with delegates from multiple organizations to explain the responsibilities of the authority recently and stated it constituted a "proactive meeting" with a "substantial involvement" from the grassroots to elite level.

"It's a job that's actually really important, because should mistakes occur, if the sport makes errors, the significant advances achieved might evaporate swiftly," Kogan said.

"Such an outcome is universally undesirable in the realm of domestic football is a substantial accomplishment - we must maintain momentum.

"Considerable investment entering the sport and has been invested for the last 20 or 25 years, because there's no guarantee it will persist in entering the game, which is part of the rationale behind I think we have to maintain a focused outlook on risk and of course, of the next two or three years."

Premier League Concerns

The Premier League opposed the creation of a regulator because of fears of a negative impact on the top-flight's competitiveness, but Kogan said: "I fully support the achievement and development as an financial organization of the top division.

"I of all people understand the apprehension regarding damaging the division as a high-quality offering of England. But concurrently, if you talk to the Premier League after this week's discussion, they would have had a substantial amount of confidence -and, actually, they have been advising us privately they have a considerable comfort."

Political Connections

Kogan is still facing a "full inquiry" by the official appointments authority after he disclosed making donations to the Labour Party in 2020.

The chairman provided financial support for government minister the minister's leadership bid, along with that of the current Prime Minister.

"I have fully disclosed my former ideological connection [with Labour], and that ideological connection terminated the day the select committee approved my appointment," the regulator explained.

"I am presently disconnected from any sort of politics."