Clutch won't disengage

[fiatdriver]

I have a '77 Spider with 85000 miles on the odometer. It shifted fine when I last drove it about 2 weeks ago. However, now when I try to shift into gear with the engine on, I can't get it to go into any gear. I have about 1 inch of free play at the pedal. As far as I can tell, the firewall is intact and the clutch pedal fingers aren't bent. The clutch cable has tension on it when I pull on it below the car and I see no signs of the cable fraying.

Thanks in advance for and help and guidance.

Thanks,
John

[So Cal Mark]

try taking most of the free play out and see if that helps. Does it grind in every gear now? It's possible that the pilot bearing has seized, and that would cause the input shaft to turn all of the time just like you hadn't disengaged the clutch.
If you put it in gear, then start the car does it try to creep even with the clutch pedal depressed?

[fiatdriver]

If I pushed hard enough into the forward gears with the clutch depressed, I'm sure it would grind - there's a tremendous amount of resistance to going into gear. It does grind badly when I try to go into reverse with the clutch depressed. And yes, it does creep when I try to start it with it in gear and the clutch depressed.

John