Ely City was established in 1885 by members of Ely St. Etheldreda Football and Cricket Club and are the oldest senior football club in Cambridgeshire. They joined the
Cambridgeshire League in 1901, but withdrew during the 1902–03 season due to a dispute over fees. However, they rejoined the league the following season. Promoted to Division One in 1921–22, the club were Division One runners-up the following season. They finished as runners-up again in 1924–25. In 1928 the league was restructured with Ely placed in Division One A. They finished bottom of the division in 1928–29 and were relegated to Division One B. Further league restructuring in 1931 saw Ely promoted to the new Premier Division. They were league champions in 1955–56, They returned to the Premier Division after winning Division One in
1996–97 and were Premier Division runners-up the
following season, but were relegated again at the end of the
1998–99 season, which had seen them finish bottom of the Premier Division. Ely made an immediate return to the Premier Division as Division One runners-up in
1999–2000, also winning the Division One Cup. earning promotion back to the Premier Division. In
2011–12 the club finished as runners-up in the Premier Division and won the Cambridgeshire Invitation Cup for a third time. They retained the Invitation Cup in 2012–13 with a 3–0 win over
Cambridge City in the final. The club were relegated back to Division One in at the end of the
2014–15 season after finishing bottom of the Premier Division. In
2024–25 the club finished fourth in the Premier Division, qualifying for the promotion play-offs, in which they lost 3–0 to
Downham Town in the semi-finals. ==Ground==