🔗 Share this article Sheff Wed Faces a 'Significant Problem', Says New Football Authority 'We are going to be a part of football's future' - independent football regulator David Kogan The Championship club's current difficulties constitute a "significant problem" and the football regulator is looking to gain the ability to investigate clubs in such situations, its new chair the official has stated. In a wide-ranging interview, Kogan, who was appointed on Monday, voiced concern towards Wednesday's fanbase. The chairman convened with four supporter groups connected to the Championship side recently. The Championship side have been facing challenges both on and off the pitch in this season, with the club failing to pay players on time on five separate occasions, including in the autumn. "Evidently Wednesday represents a serious issue for football authorities and a substantial concern for English football," Kogan told. "Sheffield Wednesday is one of the iconic names for football in England and recently we have met Sheffield Wednesday supporters' groups. "Our aim is to acquire the ability... which will allow us to have Wednesday and comparable cases submitted for our review if they need to be investigated and addressed." Monetary Issues and Leadership Concerns Wednesday's embattled owner Dejphon Chansiri stated during the off-season he would be open to selling the club at the stadium, but he has been unable to finalize an agreement with potential new owners. Failure to pay player wages on time in earlier this year led to sanctions by the football authorities in June, preventing the club from carrying out any recruitment activities for the next three transfer windows, although those limitations were removed in late summer. Authority's Position The regulator explained: "The job [of the regulator] is there for the Owls followers, teams facing challenges where people are committed to a local institution that has represented their community in numerous instances. "I fully appreciate the team's plight, as I do for all the clubs that over recent decades have faced collapse, or approached financial ruin, for factors unrelated to the fans themselves." When asked if the oversight body could require an owner to sell a club if they are deemed unsuitable, Kogan said: "When asking whether 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the response would be once we gather the evidence and know what's going on, we will." But the chairman emphasized that forcing owners to sell clubs would be viewed as the ultimate measure and the authority would rather to cooperate with proprietors. "The last thing what we want to do is start getting involved with an individual club, an individual owner, without being able to work with that proprietor to address the problems affecting the organization and the proprietor's dealing with," the chairman stated. "However, realistically, when you examine the past of the sport, 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 clubs and ultimately don't wish to take responsibility for the long-term prospects." Sheffield Wednesday supporters have been demonstrating against the team's chairman in recent months 'If we get it wrong, extraordinary progress vanishes' The chairman convened with officials from numerous teams to lay out the remit of the regulator on Wednesday and insisted it was a "forward-thinking discussion" with a "high level of engagement" from the lower divisions to the top flight. "It's a job that's actually really important, because should mistakes occur, if the football community fails, the remarkable development accomplished might evaporate rapidly," the regulator warned. "This represents everyone's worst fear in the terms of English football is a substantial accomplishment - we've got to keep it going. "Considerable investment entering the sport and has been invested for the recent generations, because there are no assurances it will persist in entering the game, which is among the factors explaining I think we have to adopt a precise perspective on potential dangers and naturally, of the immediate future." Elite Division Worries Elite division representatives objected to the formation of an authority because of concerns about detrimental effects on the Premier League's sporting equality, but Kogan said: "I'm absolutely committed to the achievement and development as an economic entity of the Premier League. "I of all people understand the concern of undermining the division as a high-quality offering of the nation. But concurrently, if you talk to the Premier League after the recent gathering, they would have had a substantial amount of confidence -and, actually, they have been informing us confidentially they have a significant confidence." Ideological Links The chairman continues to confront a "comprehensive investigation" by the Commissioner for Public Appointments after he revealed he contributed money to the opposition group in 2020. The 68-year-old donated money to Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport the politician's campaign, along with that of the government leader. "I have been entirely transparent regarding my previous political affiliation [with Labour], and that party membership ceased the day the official body endorsed my nomination," the chairman stated. "I am presently disconnected from any sort of politics."