🔗 Share this article Sheffield Wednesday Deals with a 'Significant Problem', Says New Football Authority 'Our role is integral to football's future' - newly appointed regulator the regulator's chair The Championship club's ongoing struggles are seen as a "major concern" and the new football authority is aiming to acquire authority to look into club affairs in similar circumstances, its new chair David Kogan has announced. During an extensive discussion, the regulator, who was named to the position this week, voiced concern towards supporters of the Owls. Kogan met with four supporter groups associated with the football team in recent days. The football club have been struggling on and off the field in this season, with the club delaying salary disbursements on five separate occasions, including in the autumn. "Obviously the club has become a major concern for the league and a substantial concern for English football," the chairman stated. "Wednesday stands as one of the iconic names for the English game and recently we have met supporters' organizations. "Our aim is to acquire the ability... which will permit us to bring Wednesday and comparable cases submitted for our review if they need to be investigated and dealt with." Financial Struggles and Leadership Concerns Wednesday's embattled owner the current owner indicated in the summer he would be willing to sell up at the stadium, but he has been unable to finalize an agreement with prospective buyers. Missed wage deadlines on time in March and May resulted in restrictions being imposed by the league officials in mid-year, preventing the club from carrying out any transfers or loans for the following recruitment periods, although those limitations were removed in late summer. Regulator's Perspective Kogan said: "The position was created for the Owls followers, Bury or any football club where supporters are loyal to a community organization that has been part of their lives in many cases. "I fully appreciate the team's plight, as I do for all the clubs that since 1992 have gone to the wall, or nearly ceased operations, for causes separate from the followers." Questioned about whether the regulator could force an proprietor to divest a club if they are considered unfit, the chairman responded: "When asking whether 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the reply is once we assemble the facts and know what's going on, we will." But the chairman emphasized that requiring chairmen to relinquish clubs would be considered the final option and the authority would rather to cooperate with proprietors. "The final option we would consider is start getting involved with an specific team, an specific proprietor, without being able to work with that chairman to fix the issues that the club's facing and the chairman's encountering," the regulator explained. "In actuality, when you examine the past of the game, over the recent generations there have been particular chairmen, few in number, but certain individuals who have acted carelessly in the approach they have taken toward their teams and eventually decline to assume obligation for the future." Sheffield Wednesday supporters have been demonstrating against the team's chairman in recent months 'Mistakes could erase significant advances' The chairman convened with representatives from 110 clubs to explain the responsibilities of the oversight body this week and maintained it represented a "progressive gathering" with a "substantial involvement" from the National League to the Premier League. "This position carries substantial significance, because should mistakes occur, if the sport makes errors, the significant advances achieved necessary will vanish rapidly," the chairman stated. "Such an outcome is universally undesirable in the context of the English game is a major achievement - we need to continue the progress. "Substantial financial resources flowing into the game and has been invested for the recent generations, because there are no assurances it will continue to come into football, which is part of the rationale behind I think we have to take a really clear view on challenges and obviously, of the next two or three years." Top Flight Apprehensions The Premier League opposed the formation of an authority because of concerns about detrimental effects on the top-flight's competitiveness, but the chairman responded: "I fully support the success and growth as an economic entity of the top division. "As someone who appreciates the worry about compromising the Premier League as a premium product of England. But simultaneously, if you consult with top flight officials after this week's discussion, they would have had a substantial amount of confidence -and, actually, they have been telling us in private they have a significant confidence." Partisan Associations The regulator remains subject to a "full inquiry" by the public appointments commissioner after he acknowledged providing funds to the opposition group in 2020. The official provided financial support for Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Lisa Nandy's leadership campaign, along with that of the now Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. "I have fully disclosed my past party membership [with Labour], and that ideological connection terminated the day the official body endorsed my nomination," the chairman stated. "I currently have no participation in any type of partisan engagement."