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Sheffield Wednesday's persistent issues are seen as a "significant problem" and the independent regulator is seeking powers to investigate clubs in similar circumstances, the newly appointed chairman David Kogan has announced.

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

Kogan met with four supporters' associations associated with the Championship side in recent days.

The team have been struggling on and off the field in 2025, with the club missing wage payments on five separate occasions, including in the autumn.

"Clearly Sheffield Wednesday has been a serious issue for football authorities and a significant problem for football," the chairman stated.

"The club represents one of the historic institutions for football in England and this week we have met supporters' organizations.

"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 dealt with."

Financial Struggles and Leadership Concerns

Wednesday's embattled owner the Thai businessman suggested earlier this year he would be open to selling the club at their home ground, but he has been unable to finalize an agreement with interested parties.

Failure to pay player wages on time in spring months led to sanctions by the league officials in June, stopping Wednesday from completing any recruitment activities for the following recruitment periods, although that restriction was lifted in the end of the transfer window.

Official's Viewpoint

Kogan said: "The job [of the regulator] is there for the Owls followers, teams facing challenges where fans are dedicated to a regional establishment that has existed throughout their lifetimes in multiple situations.

"I completely understand Sheffield Wednesday, as I do for each organization that in modern times have encountered failure, or approached financial ruin, for reasons that have nothing to do with the fans themselves."

Inquired if the regulator could force an owner to sell a club if they are deemed unsuitable, Kogan said: "If your question is 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the response would be once we assemble the facts and understand the situation, we will."

But the chairman emphasized that requiring chairmen to relinquish clubs would be viewed as the ultimate measure and the regulator would prefer to cooperate with proprietors.

"The final option we would consider is begin intervening in an particular organization, an individual owner, without being in a position to cooperate with that owner to try and resolve the problems affecting the organization and the chairman's encountering," Kogan said.

"However, realistically, when you look back over the history of the game, over the recent generations there have been certain proprietors, few in number, but some who have been irresponsible in the way which they've been managing their teams and eventually don't wish to take responsibility for the future."

'Mistakes could erase significant advances'

The chairman convened with representatives from 110 clubs to explain the responsibilities of the authority recently and insisted it was a "progressive gathering" with a "high level of engagement" from the lower divisions to the top flight.

"This position carries substantial significance, because if we get it wrong, if the football community fails, the extraordinary progress that's been made could disappear incredibly quickly," Kogan said.

"And that's what nobody wants in the context of the English game is a major achievement - we've got to keep it going.

"There's an enormous amount of money flowing into the game and has been invested for the past two decades, because certainty is lacking it will persist in entering the game, which is part of the rationale behind I think we have to maintain a focused outlook on challenges and obviously, of the next two or three years."

Top Flight Apprehensions

The Premier League opposed the establishment of an oversight body because of concerns about detrimental effects on the elite division's competitive balance, but the regulator stated: "I'm absolutely committed to the prosperity and expansion as an economic entity of the Premier League.

"I of all people understand the worry about compromising the Premier League as a premium product of this country. But concurrently, if you talk to the Premier League after today's meeting, they would have had a substantial amount of confidence -and, indeed, they have been telling us in private they have a high level of reassurance."

Partisan Associations

The regulator remains subject to a "comprehensive investigation" by the Commissioner for Public Appointments after he disclosed making donations to the opposition group in 2020.

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

"I have fully disclosed my past party membership [with Labour], and that ideological connection terminated the day the official body endorsed my nomination," the regulator explained.

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