If you want to put it in neutral, why not just start it in neutral? If it's hard to get to, try doing it with some lighter shoes and don't use the tip of your boot, you will put too much leverage on it and it will just go into second. Maybe the reason that it won't go into neutral is the protection system in the clutch working. If you are driving and stop in fifth, then try to go down to first, the shift lever will either lock up or seperate from the transmission because it needs momentum to shift (same thing on a bicycle, you have to be pedaling to shift gears).