Mr Justice Frank Clarke made the matter returnable for Thursday.

Yesterday, counsel for Mr Richardson Mr Frank Callanan told the court that his client was making the application because it is thought that his employers were about to terminate Mr Richardson's employment as manager of the club, that earlier this month won the FAI Cup.

In an affidavit to the court, Mr Richardson claimed that there has been "a concerted and deliberate effort to undermine his position over the past number of months".

He said that if he is sacked without explanation it would "effectively destroy my career in football management". He further claims that both he and his family are under "immense stress and anxiety".

Mr Richardson, a former Irish international who has managed teams in both Ireland and England, has been manager of Cork City since 2005, when he signed a two-year contract.

He also states that in March 2007, the club was bought by a UK investment firm called Arkaga.

He claims that last August, after a series of negotiations with the club, he agreed a further two-year contract of employment with the club.

He said that contact included a new salary, and a car allowance that was backdated to Jan 31, 2007.

He added that he was furnished with a copy of the new contract on August 31 last, but that the document did not reflect the agreement in terms of the backdating of the salary or the car allowance.

He said that the spoke to the clubs general manager Aidan Tynan about this matter, and that both he an Mr Tynan came to an agreement over the issues that caused him concern.

However, he was never furnished with any such amended contract.

In early November, Mr Richardson said he contacted Mr Tynan informing him that he wished to sign the new contract, and a meeting was arranged.

However he claims that on November 9, at a meeting with two of the club's directors at Jury's Hotel Cork, that doubts about the contract arose, and concerns about leaks to the press about the club were raised.

Mr Richardson says that he was advised that the club would revert to him to have the matter considered further.

He claims that on Thursday Nov 15 last he was informed in a meeting in Dublin by a club director, that he (Richardson) did not have a long-term future managing the club.

Mr Richardson said that he informed the club director that he did not want to leave.

However, he said he was informed that both the club and the board of Arkaga were unhappy with him because of leaks to the press about the club for which he was being held responsible.

Mr Richardson denied that he was responsible for any leaks to the press.

He says he was also told at that meeting that the club did not intend to give him "a big pay out", and that he could go with grace by serving out a three- or four-month period.

Later that day, Mr Richardson said that he was advised by a number of the Cork City players that a director had asked some but not all of the players questions about his management style, and sought their views on former manager Pat Dolan coming back to the club.

He said that on December 1, on the eve of the FAI Cup final, which Cork won, he had a meeting with the chairman of Cork City Brian Lennox concerning the rumours about his future at the club.

He said that Mr Lennox told him that his position at the club was terminated. Mr Richardson also denied claims, put in a statement issued by Cork City, that he had received offers from other clubs.

He said that the manner in which he has been treated has the potential, if dismissed, to cause irreparable damage to his reputation.