Gallery: The Brisbane Ekka in its 150th year
· Sydney Morning Herald
· Sydney Morning Herald
· Yahoo Sports
Phil Parkinson says Wrexham have some "big decisions" to make regarding their squad as they target a move for Norway centre-back Henrik Falchener.
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The Red Dragons have been linked with a swoop for the two-cap international from Viking Stavenger as they bid to bolster their defensive ranks prior to the summer transfer deadline.
But Parkinson refused to be drawn on links to the defender and stated they still have work to do over the remainder of the summer transfer window.
"We're still not where we want to be with the squad," he said.
"We've got to make sure the squad is capable of dealing with the rigours of a Championship season.
"So we've got some big decisions to make, as always, and hopefully by the end of this transfer window, we'll have the squad numbers-wise where we want it, but also strength and quality."
When asked about Falchener, Parkinson responded: "We're linked with so many players and I'd never want to comment on any individuals."
The 23-year-old was included in the 26-man Norway squad for the World Cup and started in his side's 4-1 group stage loss to 2018 winners France.
Falchener has featured 11 times for the defending Norwegian champions so far this season and scored in his side's wins over Rosenborg and Kristiansund in May.
Having already brought in full-back Danny Imray and central midfielder Ben Whiteman this summer, Wrexham made goalkeeper Anthony Patterson their third signing of the window this week.
Parkinson handed Patterson - who won two promotions at Sunderland - his professional debut with the Black Cats in November 2020.
The goalkeeper has signed a four-year deal with the Red Dragons, and the Wrexham boss says he has kept a close eye on the shot stopper since working with him at the Stadium of Light.
"I think his record is there, it speaks for itself really," said Parkinson.
"He's a young keeper, he's played for his hometown club and handled that pressure really well.
"That's not easy because there's a lot of expectations at Sunderland and he's been part of promotions and play-off campaigns up there.
"He went to Millwall and did well, but when he was a youngster when me and Steve [assistant manager Parkin] were at Sunderland, we always thought he was going to be a really good keeper.
"We've watched his progress and we're pleased to see him do so well and we're even more delighted that we've been able to bring him to the club."
Patterson's arrival has thrown up uncertainty over the futures of those who were already in Wrexham's goalkeeping department.
Danny Ward, Arthur Okonkwo and Callum Burton are all now in the final year of their respective contracts with the north Wales side.
And Parkinson says the club will continue to assess the situation regarding their goalkeepers.
"We wanted to strengthen the goalkeeping department which we've now done and we'll assess things as we go along before the close of the window," he added.
Ahead of their Championship opener at Cardiff City on Monday (20:00 BST), Wrexham confirmed striker Ryan Hardie and defender Lewis Brunt have sealed moves to Parkinson's former club Bolton Wanderers.
Hardie - who spent the latter half of the 2025-26 campaign on loan at Huddersfield Town - has joined the Trotters on a season-long loan deal while Brunt completed a permanent switch to the Toughsheet Community Stadium.
"With Ryan, he went on loan last year at Huddersfield and he got quite a bad injury and he was just coming back from an injury. He had a bit of bad luck," said Parkinson.
"We felt, me and Ryan together, that he needed to have a sustained period of football this year. It's a good signing for Bolton, Ryan's a good player."
On Brunt, he commented: "A bit of a similar story in many respects. Brunty's been brilliant, a promotion-winning player, he was in the team but pulled his thigh at Middlesbrough away.
"He was concerned going into the last of his contract that if he didn't play this year that his career would be really halted.
"I think it's a good opportunity and as much as we want to keep the squad strong and we're still looking to improve at our end, you've also got to be fair to players as well."
· Free Press Journal

Mumbai: Chandivali residents have turned to spiritual intervention to attract the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) attention towards the excruciating delay in constructing a vital public road. The Chandivali Citizens Welfare Association (CCWA) has announced a ‘Sadbuddhi Havan’ on Sunday, the third anniversary of the civic body’s announcement of the 90ft road, which has failed to proceed further.
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The road in question is a 90ft road connecting Chandivali Farm Road to the Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road (JVLR) designated in Mumbai’s development plan (DP) of 1990. According to CCWA, the Sadbuddhi Havan (a Vedic ritual praying for good sense and divine wisdom) is their last resort to get the BMC to solve a modern civic nightmare after being driven to the brink by years of official apathy and crippling traffic congestion.
Peaceful protest organised by CCWA members and Chandivali ResidentsThe residents’ association’s fight for the 90ft DP road has been in action for over three years. In February 2023, CCWA members staged a peaceful demonstration and later submitted a written proposal to the then additional commissioner, who had assured them of floating a tender for the road’s development. However, the tender was floated in August that year only after the citizens went on a hunger strike.
CCWA members submitting representation to Additional BMC CommissionerHaving a tender officially floated and approved three years ago, the crucial infrastructure project remains largely on paper, with only one-third of the 600m road built in 2021, which is now used to park vehicles. Last year, the CCWA gathered on the second anniversary of the tender by celebrating a sarcastic ‘jhoot bolo’ cake-cutting ceremony to mark two years of BMC’s unkept promise of constructing the road.
Chandivali Residents on a hunger strikeIn August 2023, the Maharashtra Human Rights Commission took suo motu cognisance of the issue and observed that the human rights of the residents in the said locality are being violated due to delays on the part of the BMC. The commission had also made critical observations about the municipal commissioner’s way of discharging his duty.
MP Varsha Gaikwad accepted CCWA's voters' manifestoMP Varsha Gaikwad, in his election manifesto for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, had promised to push for better roads and mobility, distinctly highlighting the development of the 90ft DP road project. In May 2025, the residents sought a follow-up meeting with the MP to learn the progress made in terms of the promises but all in vain.
CCWA members and Chandivali Residents celebrated Jhoot Bolo anniversary by cutting a cake on the second anniversaryThe residents have highlighted that over the past decade, the civic body has aggressively greenlit massive residential and commercial projects in the Powai-Chandivali belt, granting approvals to prominent developers and a global capability centre. While thousands of high-density flats have sprung up, the surrounding road infrastructure has remained frozen in time, leading to gridlocked paralysis for thousands of commuters navigating the cramped lanes of Chandivali and Saki Naka.
"We have written letters, submitted petitions, held peaceful protests, and even sat on a hunger strike. Having approached politicians and bureaucrats across all levels with no result, we are left with no choice but to appeal to God to grant sadbuddhi to the authorities," said CCWA founder Mandeep Singh Makkar. He added that if the BMC lacks the capacity to construct roads planned thirty-six years ago, it must immediately freeze permissions for new high-density builds which are adding further strain to an already collapsing civic framework.
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