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Sheffield Wednesday's persistent issues represent a a "major concern" and the new football authority is looking to gain the ability to examine team situations in such situations, the recently named head the regulator has announced.

In a wide-ranging interview, the regulator, who was recently selected, expressed "sympathy" towards supporters of the Owls.

The chairman convened with four fan organizations associated with the South Yorkshire club recently.

The Championship side have been experiencing difficulties in multiple areas in 2025, with the club delaying salary disbursements on five separate occasions, including in September.

"Obviously the club has become a significant problem for EFL and a substantial concern for English football," the regulator explained.

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

"We're now looking to get powers... which will allow us to have the club and similar situations submitted for our review if they need to be investigated and dealt with."

Financial Struggles and Proprietorship Status

The club's controversial proprietor the current owner indicated in the summer he would be open to selling the club at the stadium, but he has not been able to secure a deal with prospective buyers.

Delayed salary payments on time in March and May led to sanctions by the English Football League (EFL) in mid-year, blocking the team from conducting any transfers or loans for the subsequent signing windows, although that restriction was lifted in late summer.

Official's Viewpoint

The regulator explained: "The position was created for the supporters of Wednesday, other clubs in similar situations where supporters are loyal to a community organization that has existed throughout their lifetimes in many cases.

"I have absolute sympathy for the team's plight, as I do for all the clubs that since 1992 have gone to the wall, or nearly ceased operations, for factors unrelated to the followers."

Questioned about whether the oversight body could require an owner to sell a club if they are judged inappropriate, the chairman responded: "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 Kogan stressed that forcing owners to sell clubs would be considered the final option and the authority would rather to collaborate with owners.

"Our least desirable course of action is start getting involved with an specific team, an particular chairman, without being able to work with that proprietor to address the problems affecting the organization and the owner's facing," Kogan said.

"But the truth is, when you examine the past of the game, over the recent generations there have been particular chairmen, 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 regulator engaged officials from numerous teams to detail the scope of the authority recently and maintained it represented a "proactive meeting" with a "high level of engagement" from the National League to the Premier League.

"It's a job that's actually really important, because if errors are made, if the football community fails, the significant advances achieved necessary will vanish swiftly," the regulator warned.

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

"There's an enormous amount of money coming into football and has been channeled for the past two decades, because there's no guarantee it will keep flowing into the sport, which is one of the reasons why I think we have to maintain a focused outlook on challenges and obviously, of the next two or three years."

Premier League Concerns

The Premier League opposed the establishment of an oversight body because of fears of a negative impact on the elite division's competitive balance, but the chairman responded: "I fully support the achievement and development as an economic entity of the elite league.

"As someone who appreciates the worry about compromising the Premier League as a premium product of this country. But concurrently, if you talk to the Premier League after the recent gathering, they would have had a high level of reassurance -and, actually, they have been informing us confidentially they have a considerable comfort."

Political Connections

The chairman continues to confront a "full inquiry" by the Commissioner for Public Appointments after he acknowledged providing funds to the opposition group in 2020.

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

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

"I currently have no participation in any sort of politics."