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Sheffield Wednesday's current difficulties are seen as a "serious issue" and the football regulator is aiming to acquire authority to look into club affairs in similar circumstances, its new chair the official has announced.

In a wide-ranging interview, the chairman, who was appointed on Monday, voiced concern towards the club's followers.

The chairman convened with four supporters' associations associated with the South Yorkshire club recently.

The team have been experiencing difficulties in multiple areas in the current year, with the club failing to pay players on time on five separate occasions, including in September.

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

"The club represents one of the historic institutions for the English game and this week we have met Sheffield Wednesday supporters' groups.

"Our aim is to acquire the ability... which will allow us to have Sheffield Wednesday - and other clubs brought to our attention if they require examination and addressed."

Financial Struggles and Proprietorship Status

The club's controversial proprietor Dejphon Chansiri stated during the off-season he would be prepared to relinquish control at the stadium, but he has failed to complete a sale with interested parties.

Failure to pay player wages on time in March and May resulted in restrictions being imposed by the league officials in mid-year, stopping Wednesday from completing any transfers or loans for the next three transfer windows, although those limitations were removed in the end of the transfer window.

Regulator's Perspective

The regulator explained: "The job [of the regulator] is there for the supporters of Wednesday, teams facing challenges where supporters are loyal to a community organization that has been part of their lives in numerous instances.

"I fully appreciate the team's plight, as I do for each organization that since 1992 have gone to the wall, or been close to going to the wall, for causes separate from the supporters."

When asked if the regulator could force an owner to sell a club if they are considered unfit, Kogan said: "If your question is 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the reply is once we collect the information and comprehend the circumstances, we will."

But the chairman emphasized that requiring chairmen to relinquish clubs would be viewed as the ultimate measure and the authority would rather to collaborate with owners.

"The last thing what we want to do is begin intervening in an specific team, an specific proprietor, without being in a position to cooperate with that chairman to fix the challenges confronting the team and the proprietor's dealing with," the chairman stated.

"However, realistically, when you review the record of football, over the last 20 or 30 years there have been certain proprietors, a small minority, but particular people who have shown negligence in the manner they have operated their teams and eventually refuse to accept accountability for the future."

'If we get it wrong, extraordinary progress vanishes'

The chairman convened with officials from numerous teams to explain the responsibilities of the regulator on Wednesday and insisted it was a "progressive gathering" with a "substantial involvement" from the grassroots to elite level.

"It's a job that's actually really important, because if we get it wrong, if the world of football gets it wrong, the significant advances achieved could disappear incredibly quickly," Kogan said.

"Such an outcome is universally undesirable in the terms of English football is a substantial accomplishment - we've got to keep it going.

"Substantial financial resources entering the sport and has been invested for the past two decades, because there are no assurances it will continue to come into football, which is among the factors explaining I think we have to maintain a focused outlook on risk and of course, of the coming seasons."

Premier League Concerns

Top flight officials resisted the creation of a regulator because of apprehensions regarding adverse consequences on the top-flight's competitiveness, but the chairman responded: "I completely endorse the achievement and development as an commercial operation of the Premier League.

"As someone who appreciates the concern of undermining the top flight as an elite competition of this country. But simultaneously, 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 advising us privately they have a considerable comfort."

Ideological Links

Kogan is still facing a "thorough examination" by the Commissioner for Public Appointments after he disclosed making donations to the Labour Party in 2020.

The chairman contributed funds to government minister Lisa Nandy's leadership campaign, along with that of the current Prime Minister.

"I've been completely open about my former ideological connection [with Labour], and that party membership ceased the day the parliamentary committee confirmed my selection," the regulator explained.

"I currently have no participation in any type of partisan engagement."