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Sheffield Wednesday's current difficulties are seen as a "major concern" and the new football authority is looking to gain the ability to examine team situations in similar circumstances, the recently named head David Kogan has announced.

During an extensive discussion, the regulator, who was appointed on Monday, voiced concern towards the club's followers.

Kogan met with four supporter groups associated with the Championship side in recent days.

The football club have been struggling on and off the field in this season, with the club missing wage payments on multiple instances, including in last month.

"Clearly Sheffield Wednesday has been a significant problem for EFL and a significant problem for football," Kogan told.

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

"We're now looking to get powers... which will enable us to take Sheffield Wednesday - and other clubs submitted for our review if they need to be investigated and addressed."

Economic Challenges and Leadership Concerns

The club's controversial proprietor the Thai businessman suggested earlier this year he would be prepared to relinquish control at their home ground, but he has failed to complete a sale with prospective buyers.

Failure to pay player wages on time in March and May resulted in restrictions being imposed by the English Football League (EFL) in June, preventing the club from carrying out any player acquisitions for the following recruitment periods, although those limitations were removed in August.

Regulator's Perspective

The regulator explained: "The job [of the regulator] is there for the supporters of Wednesday, teams facing challenges where fans are dedicated to a regional establishment that has represented their community in many cases.

"I have absolute sympathy for the team's plight, as I do for every team that since 1992 have gone to the wall, or approached financial ruin, for reasons that have nothing to do with the fans themselves."

Questioned about whether the oversight body could require an proprietor to divest a club if they are considered unfit, the regulator answered: "If your question is 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the response would be once we collect the information and know what's going on, we will."

But the regulator clarified that requiring chairmen to relinquish clubs would be treated as a "last resort" and the oversight body would choose to cooperate with proprietors.

"The final option we would consider is commence engagement with an individual club, an individual owner, without being able to work with that proprietor to address the issues that the club's facing and the chairman's encountering," the regulator explained.

"In actuality, when you look back over the history of football, over the recent generations there have been some owners, a small minority, but particular people who have shown negligence in the manner they have operated their teams and eventually don't wish to take responsibility for the long-term prospects."

'Mistakes could erase significant advances'

Kogan met with officials from numerous teams to detail the scope of the regulator on Wednesday and insisted it was a "proactive meeting" with a "high level of engagement" from the lower divisions to the top flight.

"This position carries substantial significance, because if errors are made, if the sport makes errors, the significant advances achieved might evaporate rapidly," the regulator warned.

"This represents everyone's worst fear in the context of the English game is a huge success story - we need to continue the progress.

"Substantial financial resources coming into football and has been channeled for the last 20 or 25 years, because certainty is lacking it will keep flowing into the sport, which is one of the reasons why I think we have to adopt a precise perspective on challenges and obviously, of the next two or three years."

Elite Division Worries

Elite division representatives objected to the formation of an authority because of fears of a negative impact on the Premier League's sporting equality, but the chairman responded: "I'm absolutely committed to the prosperity and expansion as an economic entity of the elite league.

"I of all people understand the concern of undermining the top flight as an elite competition of the nation. But simultaneously, if you consult with top flight officials after today's meeting, they would have had a significant degree of comfort -and, indeed, they have been advising us privately they have a considerable comfort."

Ideological Links

The regulator remains subject to a "comprehensive investigation" by the public appointments commissioner after he disclosed making donations to the political party in 2020.

The chairman contributed funds to government minister the politician's campaign, along with that of the now Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

"I have been entirely transparent regarding my previous political affiliation [with Labour], and that political affiliation came to an end the day the official body endorsed my nomination," Kogan said.

"I currently have no participation in any form of political activity."