In late July 1893 the town's two football clubs, Filey Town (Tradesmen) FC and Filey Red Stars FC, the fishermen's club, merged in a bid to produce a team which would vie more successfully with the stronger clubs in the district. Thus Filey United, forerunner of the present Filey Town AFC, was born.
In the early years, apart from local cup ties, fixtures consisted entirely of friendly matches, and it was not until 1905 that United tested the water of league football by entering the fledgling East Riding County League.
But travel cost to the Hull area, where most league opponents were based, together with problems of player availability for away match assembly times on Saturday mornings, gradually sapped both enthusiasm and resources, causing a switch to the Scarborough & District League in 1912.
The move came to late to rekindle interest and a year later United 'stood down' for a period extended by the First World War.
Reformed as Filey FC by members of Filey Cricket Club in the summer of 1919 (the present title was adopted soon afterwards) the club re-entered the Scarborough League and won its first title the same season, heralding forty years of regular success which placed it firmly in the forefront of the local football scene.
But relations with the Scarborough & District Football Association were seldom smooth, mainly some felt because the club's required affiliation to the East Riding County Football Association, and twice in subsequent years Town moved for a spell into other leagues.
Returning finally to the Scarborough League in 1960, the club passed through a long period of indifference, culminating in relegation for the only time in its history in 1981.
Division One status was regained at the first attempt, and since then Filey Town AFC has re-established its customary position among the best in the district.