NOVI SAD, Serbia, March 26 (Reuters) - Scotland fans helped clear the snow at the Karadjordje stadium on Tuesday but their team's World Cup Group A qualifier against Serbia (1930 GMT) was still in doubt because of deteriorating weather conditions.
Visiting fans grabbed shovels to assist stadium staff in Serbia's northern city of Novi Sad as the snowfall got heavier at lunchtime, prompting officials to a arrange a final pitch inspection an hour before the scheduled kickoff.
"The delegate and the referee asked the teams to come out to the pitch at 1900 (local time, 1800 GMT), at which point a definitive decision will be made whether the game will go ahead," Serbian Football Association general secretary Zoran Lakovic told the state Tanjug news agency.
"I am optimistic, we are getting a lot of help from the stadium staff and if the snowfall doesn't intensify the pitch will be ready."
Serbian state television's official website (www.rts.rs) showed a photo of several Scottish fans clearing a pile of snow off the pitch after hundreds of visiting supporters arrived in Serbia for the fixture.
The two teams have only a slim chance of making next year's finals in Brazil, with Serbia on four points from five games and Scotland sitting bottom of the group with two points. Belgium and Croatia are top with 13 points, followed by Wales on six.
Disappointed with Serbia's tame 2-0 defeat at bitter Balkan rivals Croatia on Friday, Serbian supporters used Internet forums to praise the Scottish fans for their efforts and suggest the home team's players should have followed their lead.
"Hats off to the Scottish contingent, Serbia's players should have joined them to warm up for the game because shovelling snow is all they are good for," one of them wrote on the B92 website (www.b92.net).
(Reporting by Zoran Milosavljevic in Belgrade; Editing by Sonia Oxley)
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