TV giants line-up for fly-on-the-wall documentary on Premier League referees

Premier League broadcasters Sky Sports, TNT Sport and Amazon Prime have held talks over screening a new documentary about the life of top-flight referees.

An independent production company are understood to have pitched the programme to all three of the Premier League's domestic rights holders, but it has yet to be signed off by the Professional Game Match Officials Limited [PGMOL], who manage referees.

PGMOL have become more open since the appointment of Howard Webb as its first chief refereeing officer last year however, and may be receptive to the idea.

The proposal follows the success of Match Officials Mic'd Up, another new programme in which Webb and Michael Owen use audio from in-game conversations between officials to explain controversial VAR and refereeing decisions.

The premise of the documentary pitch is understood to be an attempt to humanise referees, as well as giving fans a greater understanding of how they carry out their duties and the pressure they are under.

Producers envisaged that referees' training sessions and pre and post-match meetings will be filmed, as well as unseen footage from games, although the Premier League would also have to give their blessing to the project.

'It's a great idea,' said one source close to the referees. 'It would show a different side to them. How hard it is. The pressure they're under. To officiate a Premier League is not easy. One error and you're vilified. So something such as this might help people see a different side to officials.'

Refereeing decisions often provide the main talking points after Premier League matches, particularly since the introduction of VAR four years ago, which has led to increased interest from broadcasters.

Former England and Tottenham midfield