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Sheffield Wednesday's current difficulties constitute a "serious issue" and the independent regulator is looking to gain the ability to investigate clubs in such situations, the newly appointed chairman the official has declared.

Through a comprehensive talk, Kogan, who was recently selected, showed understanding towards supporters of the Owls.

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

The Championship side have been facing challenges both on and off the pitch in this season, with the club missing wage payments on several different times, including in last month.

"Clearly Sheffield Wednesday has been a significant problem for EFL and a significant problem for football," the regulator explained.

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

"We are seeking authority... which will allow us to have Wednesday and comparable cases brought to our attention if they need to be investigated and acted upon."

Economic Challenges and Proprietorship Status

The team's struggling chairman the current owner indicated in the summer he would be prepared to relinquish control at Hillsborough, but he has failed to complete a sale with interested parties.

Failure to pay player wages on time in March and May caused limitations by the football authorities in summer, stopping Wednesday from completing any transfers or loans for the following recruitment periods, although those limitations were removed in late summer.

Authority's Position

Kogan said: "The job [of the regulator] is there for the Owls followers, other clubs in similar situations where people are committed to a local institution that has represented their community in many cases.

"I fully appreciate Sheffield Wednesday, as I do for every team that since 1992 have gone to the wall, or approached financial ruin, for causes separate from the followers."

Inquired if the authority might compel an owner to sell 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 assemble the facts and comprehend the circumstances, we will."

But the regulator clarified that forcing owners to sell clubs would be viewed as the ultimate measure and the regulator would prefer to work with them.

"The final option we would consider is start getting involved with an individual club, an particular chairman, without being able to work with that owner to try and resolve the issues that the club's facing and the chairman's encountering," the chairman stated.

"However, realistically, when you review the record of the sport, over the past few decades there have been particular chairmen, few in number, but particular people who have shown negligence in the way which they've been managing their organizations and finally decline to assume obligation for the coming years."

'Mistakes could erase significant advances'

The regulator engaged representatives from 110 clubs to lay out the remit of the regulator on Wednesday and insisted it was a "forward-thinking discussion" with a "significant participation" from the lower divisions to the top flight.

"The role holds considerable importance, because should mistakes occur, if the sport makes errors, the significant advances achieved necessary will vanish incredibly quickly," the chairman stated.

"Such an outcome is universally undesirable in the realm of domestic football is a substantial accomplishment - we must maintain momentum.

"There's an enormous amount of money coming into football and has come into football for the recent generations, because there's no guarantee it will continue to come into football, which is one of the reasons why I think we have to maintain a focused outlook on risk and of course, of the coming seasons."

Top Flight Apprehensions

Top flight officials resisted the creation of a regulator because of concerns about detrimental effects on the elite division's competitive balance, but the chairman responded: "I'm absolutely committed to the prosperity and expansion as an economic entity of the Premier League.

"As someone who appreciates the apprehension regarding damaging the top flight as an elite competition of this country. But at the same time, if you talk to the Premier League after this week's discussion, they would have had a high level of reassurance -and, indeed, they have been telling us in private they have a significant confidence."

Ideological Links

The chairman continues to confront a "comprehensive investigation" by the public appointments commissioner after he revealed he contributed money to the opposition group in recent years.

The chairman provided financial support for Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Lisa Nandy's leadership campaign, along with that of the current Prime Minister.

"I've been completely open about my former ideological connection [with Labour], and that political affiliation came to an end the day the parliamentary committee confirmed my selection," the chairman stated.

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