Hello today i picked up my 67 plate zetec 1.1.

I am a little confused, at the garage i started the car by turning the key. Since using the car i have been turning the stop/start function off. Now when i try to start the car, I have to turn the key and a message appears saying " press clutch to start engine " which i do. Is this normal ? Thank you kindly

Normal, all cars now require the clutch to be depressed to enable the vehicle to start 

4 minutes ago, foggydewhurst said:

Hello today i picked up my 67 plate zetec 1.1.

I am a little confused, at the garage i started the car by turning the key. Since using the car i have been turning the stop/start function off. Now when i try to start the car, I have to turn the key and a message appears saying " press clutch to start engine " which i do. Is this normal ? Thank you kindly

Hope you’re enjoying your new car! 

Yes, that’s perfectly normal. The car won’t switch on unless you press the clutch - this prevents you from switching the car on when in gear and lurching forward

Many thanks for the speedy replies, I have just started the car using the second key and the engine started first time without the clutch, after that i needed to press the clutch to start the car, so it seems a bit hit and miss. Thanks once again

We have to depress the clutch in both ours to get the car to start.

I have to put my foot on clutch pedal, if i turn the key without putting clutch pedal down it shows a message on radio display telling me to declutch.

seems a bit weird that you said you were able to start it without depressing the clutch on 2 occasions. 
Every modern car I have driven since 2012 has required this in the same way that automatics need to be in park and the brake pedal depressed to start. It is a safety feature as stated above by DG97. 

If you have been able to start it without using the clutch pedal then that would suggest there could be a fault with the system. 

You should always depress the clutch before starting any manual car in any case.  By doing so you disengage the gearbox totally from the engine (contrary to popular belief this isn’t the case when in neutral), so reducing the load on the engine and starter motor.  In fact, I’m pretty sure it says as much in the manual for the mark 7.  It definitely did for my Fiat. If you have a battery with low charge you can hear the difference on the starter motor between having the clutch in and out.  There’s also the safety benefit already mentioned of course.

As for the message not showing it does sound as if something could be amiss (assuming your car is a mk8).  The mk7 didn’t have this “feature” (unless all 5 I have driven are defective).

Sounds like a problem with the clutch switch.