1997 Ford Escort the gears are very hard to get in

when the clutchs on the escorts get stiffer they are the early signs of the clutch going also check the clutch lever arm as these are common for bending under pressure also the one other thing that i can suggest to you is check the cable as if its stretched then that can be the problem to but the only way you can tell is by removing it and just put a new one in this cable will cost about 15 pounds

Justs sound like a worn clutch to me,could be gearchange linkage,is your pedal very slack,what I mean is,is there very little effort to press the peddle,if yes it could mean you have air in your hydraulic system,or master or slave cylinder,problem,sorry but it could be your gear box,but I would bet on clutch,good luck

the escort gti is cable operated not hydraulic so have a look at the things that i said previously and you should have no probs also these dont have problems regarding selecta rods or levers

new clutch, yours does not dis-engage anymore

Sorry,got that one wrong,just got the book out,thomkas_cars,is on the right track,good luck